My Savior
by AlphaDemon
Summary: I'm abused at home, bullied at school. I'm beaten, bruised, broken. Alone. Scared of people. I want help, but I'm afraid something worse will happen. To find "the one", I sing of my pain at a café where I work. No one has noticed yet. Then, she saves me. She keeps reappearing in my life. Can I trust her? Can I learn to trust people again?(Weak/nerdy Natsu). AU. NaLu. Darker fan fic
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This idea has been nagging at the back of my head for a while now, so I decided to go ahead and start writing it. If you don't like dark, sad, and angst-y, then I don't recommend this fan fic to you.**

**The whole story will be Natsu's POV, with occasional third person POV.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Igneel Dragneel was my dad. He was the best dad anyone could ever ask for. He loved me, cared for me, spent any and all spare time he had with me. I loved him so much. I always thought it would be me and him forever.<p>

I wish I could say the same for my mom, but I never knew her. Dad always said she was very beautiful, very smart, and very kind. He said that she loved me. If I had gotten the chance to know her, I bet I would've loved her as much as I loved my dad.

But fate is cruel. It took my mom away before I even knew her. Then it took my dad away when I was nine. He didn't leave. Didn't drop everything and abandon me. Honestly, I wish he had left instead of what happened. The Accident, as I call it. Some drunken ass driver hit my dad with his shitty car. Dad died instantly. The driver? Well, he was sent to prison for ten years on account of drunk driving and hit-and-run. It should've been longer. He deserved to freaking _rot_ in a cell full of rat shit. But, no, he gets to go free in a measly ten years. Imagine it was your dad that got hit. Do you agree with me now?

After The Accident, I was sent to an orphanage. There I cried for days, no… _weeks_. My tenth birthday happened while I was still stuck in that God forsaken hellhole. You know how I spent it? Weeping. Sobbing. Grieving. Alone. I drew my birthday cake in the dirt outside the run-down building I called home.

Life took a turn for the better a couple months after my birthday. Wrong. I was adopted. I know what you're thinking: _Yay! He has a family again! He's gonna be happy now! _Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Sure, I have a family again, if you can even call it that. One man. That was it. No mom, no siblings. Just some old guy with a permanent scowl. He's really muscular, despite his advanced age. He's very tan, too. His long, light-colored hair is usually tied in braid that reaches below his middle back. Shaggy sideburns connect his hair to his untamed, light-colored, spiky beard and mustache. Scars cover his face. His sunken eyes, topped by light and bushy eyebrows, look almost white, as if he has no pupils. The black underlining his lower eyelids give him an otherworldly, and frankly scary, look. Jiemma Orlando is his name.

He took me to my new home: a small, wooden two-story house. He said things like "I'll look after you" and "Nothing bad will happen to you again". Lying bastard. A week after he took me in, his real child came home. Minerva Orlando, a sly she-devil in the body of a curvaceous, raven haired girl. Her slanted dark eyes have a malicious look in them. The amount of eye makeup she wears only adds to the maliciousness. She wears too much lip gloss, in my opinion, but most would say her lips look desirable.

Anyway, when she came home, I was thrown in the attic without a second thought so that she could have one of the two rooms the house provided. My new digs was like any ol' attic you can think of: dusty, full of cobwebs, low ceiling, no furniture, and one small window just big enough to squeeze through for emergencies. Yep, this is my new home sweet home.

For the first month, life wasn't too bad. I enrolled in school, made some friends, got good grades (all A's baby!). But then my life took a turn for the worse. Again.

I started to get bullied. Not by one kid or one group, but two _different_ groups, each containing _four people_. All of the kids are buff, except the one girl in the group known as the Raijinshuu, which means Thunder God Tribe. The other group calls themselves Sabertooth. Maybe they mean like the sabertooth tiger. Who knows? Either way, I'm bullied everyday by one, or both, of these groups.

Then fate decided to ruin my life even more.

The beatings started. At first just a couple lashes from Jiemma's belt. Then it escalated into more lashings, plus actual fist-to-face, or just about anywhere on my body, contact.

This continued for years, and is still ongoing.

After a year of being abused at home and bullied at school, I grew a fear of people. I secluded myself away from everybody at school. I lost all my friends. No one knows who I am anymore, except for the bullies. I became that random kid in the back of the class with his nose in a book. It's hard. It's lonely. I cry myself to sleep most nights. I want to change, but I'm afraid, terrified. And, really, I don't know what "love" is, anymore.

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><p>I'm eighteen now. Today begins my first day of senior year in high school. Hooray.<p>

It's 3:30 a.m. Time to get up. No, school does not start in an hour. It starts at 8:00 a.m. So why, you ask, am I getting up four and half hours early? The answer is simple: Jiemma gets up at 5:00 a.m. so, by getting up at 3:30, I'm out of the house by 4:30, thirty minutes before Jiemma's even up, thus avoiding a beating.

I rise from my bed; a piece of cardboard I found when I was thirteen. It's not much, but it's certainly better than the old creaky floor. My glasses lie on the floor. I put them on. They're big and thick-rimmed, the definition of dorky.

I throw on a pair of dirty, faded jeans and a black hooded coat over a dull red T-shirt, all of which I bought with my own hard earned money. Then I use my fingers, since I have no comb or brush, to plow through the little tangles in my hair and pat it down. You heard right: down. No spikes. No Mohawk. No styling. Just simply down. It helps me hide… most of the time.

The stairs creak as I exit the attic. It's a good thing Jiemma sleeps like log. Minerva just doesn't care anymore, so she sleeps with ear plugs. The steps leading downstairs are a little better than the attic ones, but they still give the occasional groan. Once downstairs, I head to the kitchen.

I don't dare turn on the TV. Never have, never will. Jiemma will throw a fit if he finds out I even thought about touching the flat screen.

My breakfast consists of a piece of bread. Hard, stale, and somewhat moldy, it tastes foul. Nevertheless, I stuff it down my throat and rinse it out with tap water straight from the sink. I use no dishes; I'm not allowed to.

I pack my school bag full of books I got from the library, my necessary binders, notebooks and other stuff. Shoving five dollars – again, my own hard earned money – into my pocket, I exit the house.

It's only 4:25-ish, so it's still dark outside. I don't mind, though, because over all the years of having to do this, I've acquired pretty good night vision. The air is cool and fresh. It smells of peace, calm, and freedom. I love it. This is the only time when I'm not open to being hurt physically, verbally, or mentally.

I leisurely stroll around. Not many shops are open at this early hour. The few that are, are basically empty. Sometimes I go in one, just to look around, but today I decide not to. Today, I go to the park.

It's deserted when I get there. I like it that way. It's peaceful. It's quiet, providing a place for me to sleep. I sit down on a bench, flinging my bag down next to me. My eyelids already feel heavy with sleep. Soon, I'm out like a light.

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><p>I wake to the suns bright rays. Groggily, I check the time on a giant clock that's positioned in the park. It's 7:43. I have seventeen minutes to get to school. That's more than enough time.<p>

When I get to the main building of Fairy Tail high, there's still ten minutes left before school starts. I enter the building, keeping my head low and sticking to the shadows. Avoid people, keep my head low, stick to the shadows, and don't make eye contact with anyone. That's how I survive. It keeps me hidden-

"Oh Natsu!"

-most of the time…

Just keep walking. Don't turn around. Ignore them and maybe they'll go away.

"Oi, bitch! I'm talkin' to you." A hand lands on my shoulder, roughly turning me to face my assailant. It's Laxus, leader of the Raijinshuu. His posse stands around me so I'm in the middle of them. I'm trapped. Shit.

Laxus smirks, making the lightning shaped scar across his right eye and down his cheek distort. He holds out a big hand, tough from football. "Give me your lunch money."

Only the first day and I'm already losing my lunch money. Perfect. I won't give in without a fight, though.

I shake my head no.

"Give it now, geek, and maybe we'll go easy on you," he sneers. That's when I notice the Raijinshuu are closer. I won't stand a chance in a fight.

Defeated, I dig into my pocket and pull out my five dollars. There's more of my hard earned money gone, stolen.

Laxus smirks again. The Raijinshuu back off a little.

I look down. I think it's over.

…

Apparently it's not.

One of Laxus' hands grabs my hair, yanking my head up to look at him in the eyes. He's a head taller than I am, though, so it really hurts.

"I was gonna be lenient since it's the first day of school, but since you defied me, I changed my mind. You can enjoy an empty stomach for lunch." He tugs my hair again, causing my head up at an angle it shouldn't be at. "But next time you talk back, the punishment will be much worse, Pinky."

I try to speak, but the abnormal angle makes only weird sounds come out.

"What was that," Laxus growls.

I look him in the eyes now, giving him as best a glare as I can muster.

"I-it's salmon, not p-pink," I spit. My saliva lands on his nose since he was a mere inch away from my face.

Laxus raises his hand in a fist ready to punch.

The bell rings, signaling the start of school. As they say, saved by the bell.

He pushes me against the lockers, using his muscular arm to hold me in place. "You'll regret doing that, punk," he snarls. Then he grabs me by the shirt and throws me to ground. I land hard. And on a spot on my back that's healing from Jiemma's latest whipping. It sends a white hot pain up back. I hold back a scream.

The bastard signals for his posse to do their thing before he heads to his class. Bixlow, a creepy guy with an unusually long tongue, pours the contents of my bag on the floor. Freed, a green haired guy shoves me in a locker. Evergreen, the female of the group, kicks my stuff everywhere. I see this through the gaps in the locker.

They leave, each banging a fist once on the locker I'm stuck in.

My onyx eyes gaze through the gaps, making sure no one is out there. When I see the coast is clear, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I open the locker and step out. My back is throbbing where I landed on the lash mark. I have double vision from banging my head against the locker when Freed shoved me in. My head aches, too.

I pick up my things. I might as well skip first period since I'm already late.

Getting to my locker is challenging. The double vision kept causing me to run into things. By the time I find my locker, the double vision is almost gone. I unload my things, keeping what I need for the rest of the day. It's better to have everything to avoid time in the hall when I'm an easy target.

I haven't even made it through first period yet and I've already been bullied.

Deciding to skip first period, I head to the roof. There, I read until the bell rings, signaling the end of first and a four minute transition to second. I pack up and exit the rooftop.

Let's see what the rest of the day holds in store for me.

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><p><strong>How was it?<strong>

**Jiemma was the guild master of Sabertooth, if anyone's wondering. And yes, Minerva is his actual daughter in the manga and anime.**

**There will be some songs later, that go along with Natsu's life and the pain, loneliness, and sacredness he feels. If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to PM or review.**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Huge thanks to the 12 people that followed and the 9 people that favorited this story! It means so much to me! Also, tremendous thanks to **CelestialTroll **for reviewing!**

**To **CelestialTroll**- Thanks so much the compliments! Your review is what made me want to update this story faster than I usually do.**

**Here's chapter 2!**

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><p>Nothing interesting happens in second period.<p>

Like always, I choose a seat in the back of the room, away from everyone else. No one bothers me as I read my book. I don't sleep like most people; it's too risky. However, I do put my head down and close my eyes, tuning out the teacher.

Soon enough, the bell rings. I wait until I'm the only one left in the room before I exit.

The halls are crowded. I can barely move. Squirming bodies bump into each other, causing a domino effect. Popular people stand in the middle like they own the place. Which, I guess in a way, they do. And of course, there are the couples making out on the sides, acting as obstacles for people like me that travel close to the walls.

I duck my head, masking my face with my bangs. My eyes dart around, looking for potential threats. I hold my things tightly to my chest; a nervous habit. I hate traveling in the hallways. So many dangers lurking everywhere. So many people pushing and shoving. It's crowded, hot, and smelly. Most of all, it's claustrophobic. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I'm an easy target.

I squint through the glare my glasses are causing. I see a group of four people. I can't see their faces, but their hair color says all I need to know. Light blond, pitch black, mustard yellow, and mint green.

Shit.

It's the popular group known as Sabertooth. They're a group that bullies me.

Orga Nanagear: football player, the muscle of the group. Rufus Lore: the football team's manager, the brains. Rogue Cheney: soccer player, very quiet, like a shadow. Sting Eucliffe: football player, loves publicity, leader of Sabertooth.

While the Raijinshuu bully me secretly, when there's barely anyone around, Sabertooth loves to bully out in the open. They make it no secret. They're known for their power and merciless ways. Yet, everyone still admires them because of where they stand on sports teams.

I move a little faster. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to avoid anything with them.

…

Turns out, luck is on my side, for once. I safely make it to class, and on time.

I don't move my head as I look around the room. Near the back, I spot a group of popular girls. I don't know their names, but I do recognize them.

One has long, scarlet hair, deep brown eyes, and strong arms. Another has short white hair and baby blue eyes. The shortest one has short blue hair pulled back by an orange headband and light brown eyes. A dark brown haired girl takes a swig from a bottle, her brown eyes lighting up in pleasure from whatever she's drinking. Then there's one that seems quieter than the rest, with wavy ocean blue hair and dark blue eyes.

They sit in the back row, taking up five of the eight seats. I sit near the window. There are two seats between me and the short blue haired girl. I don't like being so close to others, but this will have to do, seeing as all the other seats are taken.

Just before the bell rings, a blond walks in the room. She looks around. She's obviously new to this school, with how nervous she looks. Seeing no other seats, she heads this way. The teacher's not here yet, so the class is still talking. I decide to listen in on the girls.

"Can I sit here?" The blond asks, pointing next to the smallest girl.

Please say no, please say no.

"Sure."

Crap. Now there's only one seat between me and the popular girls.

I don't like this. I don't like this at all.

Shifting my head on my arms, I gaze out the window. It's a pretty a day: lots of sunshine, no clouds, perfect temperature. The warmth from the sun lulls me to drowsiness.

I look away. I can't fall asleep in school. It'll only make me an easier target.

Listening in on the girls again, I realize I've missed their names. Oh well, not like cared anyway.

They're talking about last summer. It's something I wish I could do with friends, but a) I don't have any friends, and b) my summer consists of work, beatings, chores, beatings, being locked in my room, and more beatings. Not very exciting, and not very fun. At all.

I'm ready to tune them out again when the scarlet haired girl asks the blond if she would like to join them in the cafeteria at lunch. The blond accepts.

Jeez, she's new here and is already in with the popular crowd, while I've been here since freshmen year and am still bullied. Life hates me.

Then something even worse happens.

The blond asks, "Who's the pink haired guy next to me?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's new," replies the brown haired girl.

I chance a look, only to see the blond's chocolate eyes fixed on me. I hold her gaze a second longer than I should and mentally scold myself. I avert my gaze.

"He looks lonely," the blond whispers to the bluenette beside her.

She contemplates this. "Maybe you should talk to him," she suggests.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

"Okay," the blond agrees.

Where the hell is the teacher?!

She turns to me.

My breaths come quicker. My pulse races. I'm fidgety.

"Hi."

I give her a nod in acknowledgement.

"I'm Lucy," she starts. "What's your name?"

I panic.

"Uh, um…"

She chuckles. "Is your name uh or um?" she jokes.

I feel my cheeks grow warm in embarrassment. I just want this to end.

"N-natsu," I stutter in a small voice.

Lucy smiles. "Natsu… I like that name. It means 'summer', right?"

All I can manage is a shake of my head yes.

She opens her mouth to say more, but the teacher walks in, loudly making his presence known. The class slowly quiets down.

Lucy and I talk no more during the period. We don't have time to.

The bell rings. Again, I wait for the class to be empty before leaving. The group of popular girls leaves just before I do. It's weird. You'd think they'd be the first ones to leave.

It's lunch time. I head to the cafeteria, sticking to the shadows, of course.

When I get there, I freeze. It's crowded, even more so than last year. There's so many people that the less popular kids are sitting on the floor. Some eat in the hallway outside the cafeteria. Others take their lunches elsewhere, probably outside.

I reach into my pocket for my five dollars. Of course, I forgot that I don't have it anymore, thanks to a blond headed bastard. Damn him.

Sighing, I turn around, only to bump into a buff chest.

I look up at Orga. He's as tall as Laxus, and just as muscular. Rufus stands next to him, over a head a shorter than Orga, but an inch or two taller than me. They move, creating a walkway for their leader. He's about my height, but his spiked hair makes him look taller. Rogue is right behind Sting, his right eye covered by his dark, shaggy hair.

Sting grabs a handful of my shirt, pulling me closer to the triumphant smirk on his face. I know what he wants before he even says anything. He wants my money.

"Give me your-"

"I don't have any," I interrupt.

He looks taken aback by my bluntness. "What," he demands.

"Laxus took my money before first period," I state. "You're too late."

Sting growls, "Damn him." He shoves me to Orga, who pulls my right arm behind my back and yanks it up. I grimace in pain, but don't let them have the pleasure of hearing me scream.

Rufus looks smug. Rogue's glaring at me. I can feel Orga smirking. Sting's plotting something; I see it in his royal blue eyes. They're enjoying this.

Sting moves forward, giving me a malicious look. He grins wickedly.

"Next time Laxus gets to you first," he starts, "you need to defend your money for me."

I scoff. "W-why would I do t-that?" It doesn't matter to me which one gets my money. Either way it's a loss for me.

"Because, if you don't, something terrible will happen to you," Sting threatens. He points to the scar above his eyebrow. I gave him that scar the first day he started bullying me; he was alone then. I didn't mean to; it was self defense. We both had broken glass from a shattered vase in our hands. Sting went for my throat. I defended by blindly slicing, and ended up hitting him above his eyebrow. It needed stitches. Right now, Sting is saying I'll get worse than that. Honestly, I'm not afraid. I get worse from Jiemma at home.

I glare, which is a mistake. Orga yanks my arm up even more. This time, I can't stifle the sound I make from the pain.

They laugh. Yes, _laugh_. If bullying some defenseless kid brings them joy, they really need a new hobby. It would be better for all of us.

Orga throws me to the ground. Sabertooth leaves. Rufus steps on my hand before leaving, making me yelp.

I'm not surprised that no one came to help me, but I am surprised to find that no one even noticed. Everyone is in their own little groups, talking without a care in the world. No one bothered to look at their surroundings. I wish I am as carefree as them.

Slowly, I stand. My hand aches, my pride is even more dented, and I'm hungry. I've been bullied twice already. It's only the first freaking day. I need coffee. Sadly, I have no money to get it.

God damn it all. Send those bastards to burn in Hell. Rip their spines out and shove it down their throat. I don't care what happens to them; I just want revenge for all the things they've done over eight years.

I sigh. Might as well go to the library. I have nowhere else to go.

The library is quiet, basically deserted. This is the most wonderful thing to happen to me all day.

I check the clock. I have thirty minutes until fourth period, a good amount of time.

My fingers roam aimlessly over the spines of some fantasy books. Fantasy is my favorite genre, mainly because of the friendship element in them. All the good guys are great friends. It gives me a taste of what I will probably never have. It makes me happy to know bonds like that exist, but sad because I will most likely never experience that bond.

I find a book with an interesting title. Pulling it off the shelf, I read the back. The storyline isn't as interesting as the title makes it seem, so I put it back. This continues for some time.

The bell rings. How long have I been here? It feels like it's only been ten minutes, when in reality it's been thirty. That's another thing I love about libraries. They help you pass the time quickly.

I grab my things and shuffle my way into the crowded halls.

Fourth period is uneventful. I prefer things that way. It means I didn't get bullied.

Fifth period is similar to fourth. The only difference being a group of popular guys. I don't know who they are. They seem athletic, yet they mind their own business. Hopefully, they won't join in on bullying people.

Sixth period goes by slowly. I watch the clock hands tick at an excruciatingly sluggish speed. I really want the day to end. Everyone else looks like they do, too.

When the bell finally rings, everyone rockets out of the classroom. Like always, I'm the last one out. The journey to my locker is surprisingly a safe one. Thank goodness for football. I think practices start today, which occupies most of my bullies.

I dump my things into my school bag and sling it over my shoulder. I survived day one, but I know things will only get worse as the year progresses. Sighing, I head to the café where I work.

It's time to vent out all my pain.

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><p><strong>How was it?<strong>

**Next chapter has some songs in it. Please read the lyrics because they play a roll in the story.**

**I'll tell you the name and singer of the songs in the first author note next chapter, it you're wanting to know.**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! It made me want to update quickly.**

**If you reviewed, and even if you didn't, please read the author's note at the end of this chapter, there's review responses.**

**The first song is **'Let it Hurt' **by **Rascal Flatts. **The second song is **'Shattered'** by **Trading Yesterday.

**Here's chapter three!**

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><p>Why am I alive? Why do I exist in this world? I mean, the first nine years of my life were the best anyone could ask for, but now my life is a living Hell. Am I alive just to satisfy peoples' need of violence? Do I exist just to be hurt further? What's the point of living if I'm not happy? Is it to make others happy, or feel good about themselves? The better question is: why am I still alive? I have nothing to live for, so why do I keep living, enduring the pain?<p>

I reach the building called 8-Island Café. My thoughts will have to wait until later.

I walk inside the small yet cozy building. It's half full, maybe a little more. No one pays attention to me. I don't mind, they'll notice me soon enough.

I walk through the doors that lead to the kitchen. Looking around, I don't see who I'm looking for.

"Ah, Natsu-san, it's good to see you," a voice says behind me.

Turning around, I come face-to-face with Yajima-sama, the owner of 8-Island Café. He's a short, old man. He has thick light-brown eyebrows and a small toothbrush mustache that reaches his lower lip. Right now, he's standing on a stool to be able to be eye level with me.

"It's good to see you, too, Yajima-sama," I reply, giving a small bow.

He waves his hand in a dismissive manner. "You don't have to add the 'sama' to my name."

"O-okay," I stutter.

"So, Natsu-san, are you ready to perform?" Yajima asks me.

"Well, actually," I say, "I need someone to play the piano…"

"I have just the person."

We walk into Yajima's office. It's small, but spacey. In the chair facing Yajima's desk is a girl about my age. She has short purple hair that reaches just below her neck and green eyes. She's wearing a light green dress.

"Natsu-san, this is Kinana-chan. Kinana-chan, this is Natsu-san," Yajima introduces us. Kinana stands, moves closer, and holds out her hand. I shake it.

"It's nice to meet you, Natsu-san," she says.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Kinana-chan," I reply.

Yajima beckons us out of the office. "Kinana-chan here plays the piano extremely well," he explains. "She doesn't even need to practice to be able to play something right." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kinana blushing.

I look to her. "You sound very talented," I compliment.

She smiles. "Thanks. What about you? Do you play piano?"

"No, I sing."

"That's right," Yajima agrees. "It just so happens that Natsu-san needs someone to play the piano." He looks at Kinana. "Do you mind playing his music? I'm afraid it's the only way I can get you in for performing today."

"I don't mind."

Yajima nods. "You're on in five minutes, then."

He leaves, leaving Kinana and I in a somewhat awkward silence.

"Can I take a look at the music?" she asks.

I nod, handing her the music sheets from my school bag.

My stomach growls.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat," I say. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Mmm'kay."

I exit the kitchen. Walking up to the counter, I look at the menu. What do I want today?

"Hi Natsu," Virgo, the lady behind the counter, greets. "What can I get you?"

"Hey, Virgo. I'll take a mocha, and a chocolate chip scone, please."

"Coming right up."

She returns a few seconds later with my order. I gladly accept it.

"Just take it out of my pay," I tell her.

"Okay. Bye Natsu."

I turn around. Spotting an open table, I sit at it. The clock on the wall reads 3:57. I have three minutes before I need to perform. I begin wolfing down my scone.

I'm drinking my mocha when the bell above the door rings, signaling new customers. Curious, I glance to see who it is.

Holy shit.

It's the group of popular girls from third period _and _the group of popular guys from fifth period.

No _freaking_ way. Why are they here?! All the other popular people say this place is 'rundown' and 'disgusting'. That's why I chose this place to work at. _So why are they here?!_

_Calm down, Natsu, _I tell myself. _They haven't shown any signs of being a threat._

I down the rest of my mocha. Keeping my head low, I throw my trash away and head to the kitchen.

Kinana is waiting for me. "Ready?" she asks. I nod, grabbing the Café's acoustic guitar that they keep for performers to use. I really want my own, but a) Jiemma will never let me, and b) I don't have the money.

We exit the kitchen and walk onto the two-foot-tall stage. A piano is always there, waiting to be played. Kinana sits down at the bench, adjusting the music sheets on the stand.

I grab the microphone and stool and set them up in the middle of the stage. As I do so, I hear the popular people whispering. They really suck at being quiet, but then again, they are at the closet table to the stage and I have admittedly good hearing.

They're saying things like, "Who is that?", "He sat a seat away from me in third period.", "I don't know his name…", and "Maybe I passed him in the hallway."

I avoid eye contact with them. Actually, I avoid eye contact with everyone in the café. It'll only make me more nervous.

I've been doing this for four years now, and I still don't feel comfortable when doing it. Maybe it's because I don't like being the center of attention, or I feel self-conscious when I sing. Either way, I'm always nervous and fidgety.

As I look out to the 'audience', a few of the regular customers shout words of encouragement. I really appreciate it. After all, they seem to like my music.

I sit on the stool, adjusting the guitar in my lap. I'm so nervous that my glasses slide down my nose a little. I push them up. They really need to be adjusted, but you already know why I haven't gotten them fixed.

Turning on the microphone, I clear my throat. Most of the café, including the group of popular people, is looking at me now, which doesn't help my nerves calm down.

"So, uh, hi everyone," I say. "Today Kinana-chan and I are going to be performing two songs. This first one is called 'Let it Hurt'. I wrote it because no matter what pain you're suffering, hurting is always part of recovery."

I nod my head to Kinana. She looks at the sheet music and starts playing the intro. I wait a little before singing at moderate speed.

_"7:42 in the morning,  
>8 seconds before it all sinks in<br>Put your best face on for the world  
>Fake another smile and just pretend<br>But you're just puttin' off the pain  
>Nothing's ever really gonna change"<em>

I come in with the guitar. It picks up the pace of the song.

_"So let it hurt, let it bleed  
>Let it take you right down to your knees<br>Let it burn to the worst degree  
>May not be what you want, but it's what you need<br>Sometimes the only way around it,  
>is to let love do its work<br>And let it hurt  
>Yeah, let it hurt"<em>

My strumming slows down.

_"3:28 in the morning,  
>countin' up the spaces between the rain<br>You're gettin' used to the rocks at the bottom  
>Your heart goes numb, but the lonely stays the same<br>And that's the price you're bound to pay  
>And there's really nothing anyone can say<br>Oh, there's only just one way"_

I speed up again.

_"So let it hurt, let it bleed  
>Let it take you right down to your knees<br>Let it burn to the worst degree  
>May not be what you want, but it's what you need<br>Sometimes the only way around it,  
>is to let love do its work<br>So go on,  
>yeah, let it hurt"<em>

I play a short guitar solo.

_"You might just find you're better for it,  
>when you let go and you learn…"<em>

I stop strumming on the guitar, making the pace slow, and my voice and Kinana's piano playing the only thing heard.

_"To let it hurt, let it bleed.  
>Let it take you right down to your knees"<em>

I start strumming again.

_"Ooohhh...  
>Sometimes the only way around it,<br>is to let love do its work  
>So go on<br>And let it hurt!~  
>Oh, let it hurt"<em>

I play the guitar for a few seconds, and then stop. Kinana's still playing the piano.

_"7:42 in the morning,  
>8 seconds before it all sinks... in"<em>

As the song ends, I look out at the people in the café. I'm amazed to find that all of them are looking at me. It's silent. A pin could drop and you'd be able to hear it.

Then, something truly amazing happens. Someone stands up and claps. _Claps._ Someone else stands, joining in. Soon, everyone is on their feet, applauding Kinana and I. it's so unreal. In all my four years of performing here, not once has everyone applauded. This truly is a dream come true.

I smile. "Thanks, everyone. We have one more song for you guys. It's called 'Shattered'."

I start finger picking on the guitar. It creates a slow and somewhat somber melody. I sing the words slowly, and my voice is sad.

_"Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding  
>Fall into your sunlight<br>The future's open wide, beyond believing  
>To know why, hope dies<br>Losing what was found, a world so hollow  
>Suspended in a compromise, yeah<br>The silence of this sound, is soon to follow  
>Somehow, sundown<em>

_And finding answers,  
>is forgetting all of the questions we called home<br>Passing the graves of the unknown"_

There's a short pause, in which I hold a note on the guitar for a second. Then, I go back to finger picking.

_"As reason clouds my eyes, with splendor fading  
>Illusions of the sunlight<br>And a reflection of a lie, will keep me waiting  
>With love gone, for so long<em>

_And this day's ending,  
>is the proof of time killing all the faith I know<br>Knowing that faith is all I hold"_

I stop playing the guitar as Kinana starts playing the piano. It's a slow and sad tune. She finishes the solo without any mistakes and I start strumming, picking up the speed of the song a little.

_"And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand  
>Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love, without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on<br>But I know, all I know, is that the end's beginning  
>Who I am, from the start, take me home, to my heart<br>Let me go, and I will run, I will not be silent  
>All this time, spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain<br>All is lost; hope remains, and this war's not over  
>There's a light, there's a sun, taking all shattered ones<br>To the place we belong, and his love will conquer"_

My strumming speeds up further.

_"And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand  
>Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love, without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on<br>But I know, all I know, is that the end's beginning  
>Who I am, from the start, take me home, to my heart<br>Let me go, and I will run, I will not be silent  
>All this time, spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain<br>All is lost; hope remains, and this war's not over  
>There's a light, there's a sun, taking all shattered ones<br>To the place we belong, and his love will conquer all"_

I go back to finger picking a slow and somber melody.

_"Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding  
>Fall into your sunlight"<em>

It's a very beautiful song. I wrote it because yesterday (or yester-almost-decade) everything fell away and nothing good looks like it's coming in the future. Sure, I "know" things will get better, but does it really feel that way? No. Not even close. Faith is dying because everything looks so hopeless, and I'm angry at god. I don't understand why these bad things are happening to me, and I want to believe it'll get better, but am having trouble.

I look out at the applauding audience. They enjoyed the song. However, they don't know the real meaning behind it. I can see in their eyes they think it's just a song I wrote because it sounds beautiful. They don't actually feel the emotion I put into the lyrics.

I thank them for listening. Kinana and I bow, and then exit the stage. In the kitchen, I thank Kinana for performing with me, and compliment her on her truly amazing piano skills. We agree to perform together again sometime.

I sigh as I put up the guitar. It really is a beautiful instrument, and it creates wonderful sounds. Every time I put it away, I feel like a piece of me leaves, too. I'm just so attached to music.

Saying good bye to Yajima, I exit the 8-Island Café.

I shove my hands into my jeans' pockets. It's only five in the afternoon, but the weather is chilly. The sky is dark. A storm is coming; I can feel it. A soft breeze blows, shifting my hair and swirling up some dead leaves. This is the calm before the storm.

I keep walking. Not even a block later, someone speaks behind me.

"I want to talk to you, Natsu."

I turn around, expecting Virgo or even Kinana. Who I see, though, surprises me.

"I have some questions about your songs."

Standing there, on the sidewalk as it starts to drizzle is someone I never would've thought would talk to me again. She's popular now. She has many friends. So why is she here?

She walks up to me, her blond hair now damp, her chocolate brown eyes curious.

It's Lucy.

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><p><strong>How was it? I would love any and all feedback. No flames, please!<strong>

**Just so everyone knows, there are two reasons I'm updating so quickly. 1) You guys rock with your reviews! They really motivate me into writing, and 2) I'm on Winter Break right now, so I have no homework, but when school starts back up (on Jan. 5th, ugh), I won't be able to update as fast anymore. I'll try to get another chapter out before I go back to school.**

**Happy New Year's to everybody!**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review** **Responses (for some reason, the guest reviews aren't showing up on this website, but I do get them in my e-mail, so I do see them and I hold onto them):**

lunastarlight (Guest)- **I really appreciate the concern, but no, this is not happening to me. I live happily with a loving mom, dad, older sister, and two spoiled cats. Thanks so much for the compliments! I have no idea how I write this, it just comes to me. I also have no idea if I'm going to become an author, but if I do, it will be a while because I'm only twelve (thirteen in February) years old. Thanks for the song suggestion!**

050300NALU (Guest)- **OMG! Thank you! Yes, I do know when the book sucks you in, and I'm delighted that my story is doing that to you!**

YumiChan (Guest)- **Thank you! Natsu is really cute.**

Llaelien- **Thank you!**

Suyai- **Thank you! I am definitely continuing this fic, even if everyone suddenly doesn't like it anymore.**

Jay-Chammy- **I'm so happy you like it!**

Azarathia- **I totally know what you mean with the whole Lucy being bullied/kicked off Team Natsu thing! It really is overused.**

Anime4life25- **Here you go, next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! (Review Responses in the author's note at the end of this chapter.)**

**Did anyone listen to or know the songs from last chapter? And how many of you guys read the lyrics?**

**WARNING: This chapter contains blood, pain, and abuse.**

* * *

><p>I stand there, eyes wide, hair dripping from the rain. Lucy takes another step toward me. I take a step back.<p>

She moves forward. I move back.

"Stop doing that!" she exclaims.

"W-what do you w-want?" I don't know why, but I have a really bad feeling. Something's going to happen.

"I just have some questions about your music," she says.

Unable to form a response, I just stand there, staring wide-eyed like an idiot.

She sighs. "Okay, first question. Why are your songs so depressing?"

Wait, what? Does she actually see the message in them?

"W-why do y-you want t-to know?" Damn my stuttering. It's not my fault, though. I don't have any good memories from my time with popular people.

"Well… I saw the look in your eyes. It looked like the songs are more personal than you let on."

She's very observant, I notice.

"W-what's it to y-you?" Mental note: tough guy act does not work for me.

"I'm just-"

A voice interrupts her. "Lucy!"

"There you are!" another voice yells.

Okay, here's the thing: I can handle talking to one person, but _eleven_ people is a whole other story. Not to mention eleven _popular _people. And them staring at me doesn't help, either. Add the fact that the five guys look intimidating and muscular, and you got one cowering Natsu.

A guy with raven-black hair moves in front of Lucy. She looks agitated at his actions, but says nothing.

"You're the guy that was onstage, right?" Mr. Protective asks.

I can't tell if he's a threat or not. He talks with little emotion. For all I know, he could be acquainted with the Raijinshuu or Sabertooth. Heck, they all could be.

I put up my guard.

When I don't give an answer, Mr. Protective glares at me. He repeats the question, to which he gets no answer.

A huge guy in the back of the group moves forward. He's big, but smaller than Laxus. His spiky black hair reaches his lower back. The thing that creeps me out the most, though, is the piercings. They're everywhere on his face, even where his eyebrows should be.

"Move aside, Gray," he says to the raven-haired teen as he shoves him out of his way. I felt scared before, but now I'm downright terrified. This group could beat me to a pulp in a matter of seconds.

"What's your name, punk." It's not a question, it's a demand.

I don't think my eyes can go any wider. I feel threatened. I feel scared. I'm terrified. I don't like being near so many people who are obviously on guard and protective of their friends.

I start backing up.

"His name is Natsu." Lucy steps between the big guy and me. Is she… protecting me?

"I just had some questions about his music. Back off." Wow, she really is protecting me.

The group visibly relaxes. I don't understand why they ever had their guard up, though. I'm not much of threat. For one, I'm classified as a 'dork, geek, nerd, loser, and wimp' at school. I'm lean, skinny, but not muscular. My eyesight sucks, thus the glasses. And, they don't know this, but I always have some injury on my body. Yeah, I'm a huge threat.

The scarlet haired girl steps forward. The two guys who confronted me back down without a word. This girl is in charge. She's the leader.

"We're sorry for causing any trouble," she apologizes. "I'm-"

She doesn't get to finish.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I'm on the ground, writhing in agony. My glasses fall off, crashing to the floor and breaking in several places. My salmon hair stands on end. I grasp my left arm in my right.

I'm being electrocuted.

I won't go into details, but basically Jiemma 'placed' a chip in my arm that he can use to electrocute me at any time. The shocks reach all of my body, not just my left arm.

It stops. I collapse. My breathing is labored, my chest heaves. I'm on my back, looking up at the concerned face of Lucy. Her mouth is moving, but I can't hear anything besides the ringing in my ears.

I want to hurl.

Ignoring the pain and holding back a scream, I stand. Everyone looks at me worriedly. I want to tell them I'm fine, but that would be a lie. That and I have more concerning things to deal with.

That shock meant Jiemma's pissed. If I'm not home soon, I'll be shocked again, but with more intensity.

I can hear again, but I wish I couldn't. Concern for me is something I haven't experienced in a while, and it's unsettling and weird. I don't like it.

I'm not steady on my feet, and nearly fall down again, but somehow I manage to hobble past everyone. Using the side of the buildings for support, I start running as best I can toward the house. The group follows, easily catching up and blocking my path on all sides.

"Move." I'm surprised at how strong my voice sounds.

"Nat-"

"I said move."

Finding strength I don't know I have, I charge. They move out of the way.

I keep running. I hear them behind me. They're catching up.

I speed up, turning a corner into a back alley. This is the way I get home every day. It's secluded, quiet, and relatively safe.

The thing about back alleys: they're like mazes. There are so many different paths to take that if you don't know where you're going, you'll get lost. It's also the perfect place to escape from people that are chasing you.

After many twists and turns, I look back. I lost them. Good.

I slow to a walk. I'm only a minute or two away from the house. It's probably a stupid decision to go back, but if I don't, Jiemma will electrocute me again, maybe even to death. While my life is terrible right now, some part of me doesn't want to die.

Turning one last corner, I reach the house. My pulse races as I open the front door. It's dark. Not a good sign. I take off my shoes, place them by the door, and walk down the hallway that leads to the kitchen.

I'm punched the second I set foot in the kitchen. I fall, landing on my back. Blood drips from my lip.

"Stand, boy." I can't see him, but he's there. Judging by the reek of alcohol in the air, he's been drinking. He's probably drunk.

I obey, dragging myself to my feet, only to be knocked down again. Jiemma grabs a fistful of my hair, holding me up, and punches me in the gut. Over and over and over again.

When he's done, I'm left on my knees, retching and coughing up blood.

The lights turn on, but without my glasses, I'm blind as a bat.

The bastard knees me in the nose, breaking it. Blood spurts everywhere. I'm lightheaded and dizzy, hunched over in agonizing pain.

Using his oversized foot, he shoves my head into the floor. He kneels with one knee on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

He says a couple words, steps on my ankle, and leaves me in a pool of my own blood. I'm supposed to clean this mess up, but how can I when I can't see, am lightheaded, coughing up blood, in so much freaking pain, and possibly have a broken ankle?

I lie there for I don't know how long. When I finally rise to clean up, the words he spoke are the only thing on my mind.

"Next time you're late, the punishment will be worse."

* * *

><p>That night I don't sleep at all, even though I feel like I could hibernate.<p>

I'm in so much pain that I actually made a mental list of all my injuries.

1. Broken nose

2. Broken ankle

3. Split lip

4. Possible concussion

5._ Many _bruises

Man, I feel like shit. I spend all night using random things in the attic to make crutches and splints. What I make is so uncomfortable; I actually consider not using them. In the end, I use them.

Like always, I get up at 3:30 a.m. I'm a little slower than usual, but still manage to be out of the house by 4:35.

I bring more money with me today so that I can buy first-aid supplies at a drug store. With the money I have, I'm able to buy band-aids, gauze, pain killers, and the owner of the store lets me borrow a pair of crutches since we know each other. He's a nice guy.

In the restroom, I wrap the gauze around my chest, stomach, head, and ankle. I place band-aids over various cuts on my body. I swallow some pain killers.

When I get to school, no one pays attention to me. Thank goodness. I hate attention.

The Raijinshuu are for some reason not harming me before classes start. I'm not complaining.

Sabertooth, however, is not so nice.

"Did someone finally man up and fight?" Rufus asks playfully.

"Ha-ha! It looks more like he manned up and got beat to a pulp!" Orga insults.

Rogue chuckles.

Sting grabs my crutches, making me get off balance and fall to the floor. I lean my back against the lockers, keeping my injured foot close to me.

The leader of Sabertooth gets way too close to my face. His smirk never leaves as he grabs me by the shirt – which is long-sleeved to hide bruises and cuts – and pulls me up.

"Now," he starts, "give me your money."

I reach into my pocket, grabbing at the money to give him, when a voice makes both of us freeze.

"Sting! What the hell are you doing?!"

Sting's hold on me disappears. I fall, hitting my back on the lockers on the way down.

Coughing, I lift my head to see her.

"L-lucy...?" I croak. "R-run…"

She ignores me. Stomping up to him, she pokes a finger on Sting's chest.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she repeats. "You're better than this! What's the point of doing this?!"

He moves closer to her, a sly smile on his face. "Come on, Lucy baby, why're you defending this trash?" He wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. "Why don't you and I ditch? We could… have some fun." At the last part, he traces a finger up Lucy's side.

Before he could reach where he was aiming, I grab a crutch and trip him. Lucy pushes away from him at the same time, adding more force to his fall.

Sting lands hard on his back. Sabertooth approaches, obviously enraged that we hurt their leader.

I think we're done for.

"Leave," Lucy demands. When they make no move to do so, she adds, "Before I get Erza to kick all your asses."

Whoever this 'Erza' is has a huge reputation to be able to make Sabertooth back off. They retreat, even Sting.

When they're out of sight, Lucy turns to me. I'm so grateful I can't form any words to express it.

"Oh god," she whispers. "Did they do this to you?" She bends down next to me, hovering a hand over my arm, afraid to touch it.

I sit up, leaning my back against the lockers. "No."

She looks at me with unshed tears in her eyes. "Then who did?" Her voice wavers.

I don't know how to respond. I'm not ready to tell anyone about Jiemma, but I can't lie to the person that just saved me. There's only one thing to do.

I shake my head in a 'no' gesture.

She steels herself. "Come on, then. I'll take you to the nurse's office." She tugs on my arm.

"N-no. I'm fine." I pull away from her grip. Trust me when I say this: I would kill for a chance at going to the nurse. Only problem is, they demand the story of your injuries.

She looks at me with eyes that say _you're obviously _not _fine._

"I-I'm fine," I insist. To prove my point, I stand, using the crutches.

"Fine."

I shrug on my back pack and head to first period, which is amazingly difficult without my glasses. I can't see anything without my glasses. Saying that, I feel like Velma from Scooby-Doo.

Lucy follows me, occasionally pointing out where the hallways are.

It's awkwardly silent until we get to the classroom.

"Well, uh, I'll see you later," I say.

"This is your class?" she asks.

I nod my head yes.

She gives a playful smirk. "This is my class, too. Come on."

Together, we enter the classroom right as the bell rings.

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><p><strong>How was it?<strong>

**I think next chapter will be happier, but I'm not sure yet.**

**You guys are so awesome with your reviews! I love you all! Please keep reviewing, it really motivates me!**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses (for some reason, some of the reviews don't show up on this website, but I do get them in e-mail. I'll try to solve the problem):**

050300NALU (Guest)- **You know what I look for every time I check my e-mail? Your reviews. They always make me so happy! Thanks so much for supporting me!**

lunastarlight (Guest)- **Thank you! I actually read a fan fic called **Suicidal Boyfriend **and it's what made me want to write this. My fan fic is darker and more angst-y ****than that one, though.**

Azarathia- **Lucy will hug Natsu, I promise!**

FairyTailLover390- **Thank you!**

CelestialTroll- **I'm so happy you like this story!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! What's up? Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! You have no idea how much it means to me! (Like always, review responses are at the bottom.)**

**Here's chapter 5! **

* * *

><p>I flip through my songbook as the teacher goes on and on about something I don't care to listen to. It's only first period, and I'm ready to go home. Actually, scratch that, not home, but somewhere that's not school and not home. Maybe a park, or the library, or the café… I don't know, just somewhere quiet, peaceful, and safe.<p>

Then I remember something: I have a spare pair of glasses in my bag! After a few minutes of rummaging through my bag, I find them. They look exactly the same as my other pair. I put them on. You don't know how great it feels to have them back.

I look out the window that's next to my seat in the back row. Today is gloomy. Rain pounds against the glass as the wind tugs trees, seeming to want to uproot them. It's stormy; thunder crackles, echoing through the building. Lightning flashes, lighting up the sky and splitting the clouds.

Storms unnerve me. They're dangerous, loud, and bright; the exact opposite of me. They make me jump every time thunder decides to boom; lightning lights up dark spots, making hiding nearly impossible. I think, though, the main reason is because something _really _bad happens to me when storms come. It's like they're warning me.

A shiver goes up my spine. What more could life and fate have in store for me? My life is already ruined, so why keep torturing me?

Looking back to my songbook, I realize I haven't actually been reading or working on it. I've just been daydreaming as I flip the pages. Well, I'm not going to get anything done right now. I put my songbook away.

The teacher is still going on about who knows what. Half the class is asleep or is trying to. Some people, those classified as nerds and geeks, are taking notes and listening attentively. Most of those who are awake are whispering or passing notes.

I spot Lucy in the third row. She's sitting next to her friend with the short blue hair from yesterday. I think Lucy said her name is Debby. No, maybe Bevy? Levy! Her name is Levy. They seem to be whispering about something, probably just girl talk.

I put my head down, relaxing while the teacher's monotone voice keeps lecturing an uninterested class.

Finally, the bell rings. I'm the last one out of the class.

I turn the corner and am surprised to see Lucy waiting for me.

"Are you going to be okay getting to second period?" she asks.

I nod.

"I'll see you in third period, then." She waves goodbye. I wave back.

I hobble on the crutches to my next class. I'm slow, off-balance, and jumpy. Anyone could easily harm me. People push and shove, bump into each other, and stand in the way. Someone knocks into me, almost making me fall. They don't apologize. Instead, they rush back to their friends and joke around. Regaining some balance, I continue heading to class.

A miracle has happened. I, Natsu Dragneel, a bullied and tormented kid labeled as 'geek, nerd, dork, wimp, and loser', have somehow made it to class without being bullied. With a sigh of relief, I go to my seat in the back. The storm is still raging outside, making me somewhat regret choosing a window seat. Oh, well.

During second period, I tune out the teacher. What's the point of keeping up my grades, anyway? I know Jiemma will beat me senseless either way, and he probably doesn't care about my grades.

After a really boring lesson, the bell rings. I exit last, like always.

In the hallway, I pass the Raijinshuu. They look at me, but make no move to attack. Laxus nods at me like, _since you're injured, we won't hurt you, but when you're healed, prepare to beg for your life. _I shudder. At least I'm safe from them for now.

After that, my journey to class is uneventful. Thank goodness.

I sit in the seat I sat in yesterday. The group of popular girls, including Lucy, arrives a short time after I do. They sit in the same seats as yesterday, too. Lucy is a seat away from me.

She looks at me questioningly. I don't know what she's asking, but it's either _are you okay? _Or _do you want to meet my friends? _Or maybe even _where'd you get the glasses?_

I mouth the words 'I'm fine'. She smiles at that.

In all honesty, I don't know how I feel about Lucy and the concern and kindness she's showing me. I mean, yeah, I want friends, but it's been around eight years since I've had any, so it's really strange. Unsettling, is a better word.

I'm about to stare out the window when Lucy jerks her head towards her friends. It's a gesture asking _do you want to meet them._

Slowly, I shake my head no.

She sighs, then turns and talks to Levy.

We don't talk the whole class period. She's busy taking notes while I stare out the window.

When the bell finally rings, the class is empty in a matter of seconds. That's to be expected, though. After all, it's lunch time.

Only the popular girls and I remain. They're whispering about something. Usually, I wouldn't be interested, but they keep glancing at me. Just as I'm about to leave the room, they move closer, somewhat surrounding me. I move my chair back so it's resting against the wall.

The brown haired girl sits on a desk to my left. The white haired girl stands almost next to me on my right. The ocean-blue haired girl stands next to the white haired girl. Levy stands next to her with Lucy on her right. The scarlet haired girl stands between Lucy and the brown haired girl. She's directly in front of me, another clue that she's in charge.

"What happened yesterday," the scarlet haired girl demands.

I have no plans on answering, but before I even have the chance to say anything, Lucy interrupts.

"Let's not worry about that right now." She swiftly looks at me, her eyes asking me to explain to her later. "Let me introduce you girls to Natsu."

The white haired girl replies first. "I'm Lisanna. It's nice to meet you."

I'm too nervous to respond.

"I'm Cana," the brown haired girl says.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Juvia," the ocean-blue haired girl greets.

Levy introduces herself next, not knowing Lucy already told me who she is.

All that's left is the scarlet haired girl. She has this aura that radiates power and control. It's kind of scary.

"I am Erza. I hope we will be good friends."

Well, that's everyone. Can I go now? This is really making me uncomfortable.

"Not much of a talker is he?" Cana asks. You're exactly right, Cana. I'm not a talker, so if I can just go now…

I look at Lucy, hoping she sees the message in my eyes that I don't like this. I know I'm a wimp. I'm the man here, I shouldn't be cowering. But when you haven't talked to anyone in eight years, it's not easy doing it to six new people, especially the opposite gender.

"H-hi," I manage. I know, not much, but it's all I could get out.

"So he does talk!" Cana jokes, at least I think it's a joke.

They giggle. It's a much higher pitch than I'm used to. Usually, it's the deep chuckles of Laxus and Sting.

I send Lucy another look, pleading her with my eyes to end this. I bet you males are at home, yelling at the top of your lungs to hit on one of these hot chicks. Yeah . . . not gonna happen anytime soon.

This time, Lucy gives in.

"Can I talk to Natsu alone?"

Erza nods. The girls start heading out of the room, leaving only Lucy and I. On their way out, I swear I hear one of them say "She likes him." They rolled their tongue on 'like'.

I stay silent, not wanting to be the first to speak for I would say something wrong.

Lucy asks, "Do you not like them? Sure, they can be a bit nosy, but they're not bad people."

Somehow, I find my voice. "I-it's not t-that," I stutter. "I-it's just that I-I haven't t-talked to anyone in y-years…"

Worry takes hold of her expression. "How many years?"

"E-eight, I think."

"Eight?!" Lucy shrieks.

I nod my head numbly.

Her voice softens. "Natsu… that's not healthy…"

She's obviously concerned about me, and I think she wants to help. Truthfully, I would love one or two people I could trust, count on, and maybe even tell my darkest secret to; I think that's what friends are. But I'm not ready for a huge crowd yet.

"Why don't you make some friends, then? Have you ever tried?" she asks.

I shake my head no. I have never tried. That's the scary truth.

"Well then, why don't you come to lunch with me and the girls? You could make plenty of friends. I think you would like the guys we hang out with, too."

My eyes widen. I kind of thought that was where Lucy was going with this conversation, so I'm not surprised. So why, you ask, did my eyes widen? The answer is simple: I'm scared. Yes, I'm scared. Why don't I repeat it so no one can say they heard (or read) wrong? I. Am. Scared.

Most would think that after eight years of being alone, I'd be tired of it. Truthfully, I am. I want friends, people I can trust with my life, with my secret, my pain. I'd do anything to get that. But when it comes to actually _meeting these people_, I'm scared as hell. After being abused, bullied, beaten, broken, I've developed this really weird fear. A fear of people, of humans. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't wish to be alone, truly alone. Especially if it means this torture would end.

But then I think about it deeper, and I realize I'd go mad without the presence of others, friend or foe, around me. Any person would. The principal of this school once told me, "There are people in this world who prefer solitude. But there is no one who can withstand it."

Just so you don't get the wrong idea, no, he does not know about my life. I went to him, because I trusted no one else, saying I was in depression and wanted to leave for a while. He then gave me this really long, really inspiring speech, ending it with that line. Because of him, I stayed. I felt better after hearing his words of wisdom, and I managed to pull through one of the worst beatings I've ever had from Jiemma because of him. He's the closest thing I have to family.

"Natsu?"

I realize I've been staring off into space, completely ignoring Lucy. I snap back to reality, the weight of her question hitting me its hardest.

Finally, I give her an answer.

"I-I'm sorry, Lucy, b-but I have t-to decline. I'll j-just go to the l-library."

I was expecting a lot of emotions to cross her face: uncaring, anger, maybe even disappointment, but hurt was what I saw instead. Raw hurt. I hurt her, I hurt Lucy. She's the closest thing I have to a friend, and I hurt her. How, I have no idea. I'm a loner, why would she care about me? I didn't think she'd care enough to be hurt at my refusal.

"Y-you don't like us?" Her voice shakes.

"No! That's not it! I mean, I'm just not used to it, so many people. I like you, I really do. You're the one person I can call 'friend'. It's just that, it's…" I trail off, not really wanting to tell her about my fear of people.

"It's just… what?"

I sigh. I might as well go ahead and tell her.

"It's just that I'm afraid of people."

Lucy looks at me, her expression hard to read. There's a pause.

"So that's why you have no friends," she eventually mumbles.

"Yeah," I agree.

She gives me a warm, sincere smile. A true smile. Not a cruel smirk like I'm used to from bullies, but a real, honest smile.

"Please Natsu," she says. "Give it a try. It won't be too bad, and I'll be right next to you the whole time." When I give no answer, she adds, "Please… for me?"

Something hits me right then. Lucy's concerned about me being a social outcast. She wants me to have friends and not be lonely. It's genuine care for another human being that's driving her actions. I think that's just the type of person she is.

I sigh, debating my options. The group seemed protective of one another, not the type to go around bullying others. Maybe I can get along with them. Maybe I can have… friends.

"You promise?" I ask.

Her warm, chocolate brown eyes light up. Hope shines in their depths.

"Yes." Her answer is steady and sure, positive.

"Okay, then," I say. "I'll go."

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><p><strong>How was it? It feels kind of rushed to me...<strong>

**The third guild master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyer (the principal in this fic), did say that in the subbed anime, so it's a quote from the anime, I didn't make it up. I really love that quote.**

**Well, school has resumed, which really sucks. I also have row practice Mon., Tues., and Thurs. until 5:30 and I don't get home until 6. And then on Thurs. I also have this sport called goal ball from 6:30 to 8. Then throw in basketball and homework... Basically, I have a busy schedule and won't be able to update really fast.**

**Next chapter introduces everyone that's currently not in this fic yet but is a huge part in the anime/manga series. I'm excited about writing that chapter!**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses (some weird thing happened and now the guest reviews seem to be showing up on the website. Yay!):**

050300NALU (guest)- **Thanks so much for reviewing and supporting me! I'm so happy that I made you feel something with my writing (even if it was sadness)! I totally know what you mean with the Natsu pill scene. It is kinda funny to imagine but it's scary what he was actually going to do. Thanks for the song suggestion! I think it will work. Thanks again for reviewing!**

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FairyTailLover390- **Sting was a person she met on her first day of school. Think of Sting as the type of guy that just wants to get in a girl's pants. They weren't exactly friends yet.**

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MikurisanScarlet- **I'm so happy you like it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I apologize for the late-ish update, but I've been so freaking busy lately.**

**Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! It means the world to me! (Do I even need to tell you guys that Review Responses are at the bottom anymore?)**

I found this poem on someone's profile, and I think it fits with this story well:

My name is Sarah  
>I am but three,<br>My eyes are swollen  
>I cannot see,<br>I must be stupid  
>I must be bad,<br>What else could have made  
>My daddy so mad?<br>I wish I were better  
>I wish I weren't ugly,<br>Then maybe my mommy  
>Would still want to hug me.<br>I can't speak at all  
>I can't do a wrong<br>Or else I'm locked up  
>All the day long.<br>When I awake I'm all alone  
>The house is dark<br>My folks aren't home  
>When my mommy does come<br>I'll try and be nice,  
>So maybe I'll get just<br>One whipping tonight.  
>Don't make a sound!<br>I just heard a car  
>My daddy is back<br>From Charlie's Bar.  
>I hear him curse<br>My name he calls  
>I press myself<br>Against the wall  
>I try and hide<br>From his evil eyes  
>I'm so afraid now<br>I'm starting to cry  
>He finds me weeping<br>He shouts ugly words,  
>He says its my fault<br>That he suffers at work.  
>He slaps me and hits me<br>And yells at me more,  
>I finally get free<br>And I run for the door.  
>He's already locked it<br>And I start to bawl,  
>He takes me and throws me<br>Against the hard wall.  
>I fall to the floor<br>With my bones nearly broken,  
>And my daddy continues<br>With more bad words spoken.  
>"I'm sorry!", I scream<br>But its now much too late  
>His face has been twisted<br>Into unimaginable hate  
>The hurt and the pain<br>Again and again  
>Oh please God, have mercy!<br>Oh please let it end!  
>And he finally stops<br>And heads for the door,  
>While I lay there motionless<br>Sprawled on the floor  
>My name is Sarah<br>And I am but three,  
>Tonight my daddy<br>Murdered me.

I was crying when I read this. If you have an account, and are against child abuse, copy and paste this poem to your profile (it's on my profile if you need to go there to copy it).

**...**

**On a happier note, I like how this chapter turned out, and I hope you guys enjoy it too. So without further ado...**

**Here's chapter six!**

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><p><em>Why did I agree to this again? <em>I wonder as I hobble down the hall on the crutches. Do I really want to do this? Won't I be pushing myself beyond my comfort zone? Is it healthy to do that? Then again, maybe that's what I need.

Lucy hums lightly next to me. It's a tune I'm unfamiliar with. Maybe it's one from her childhood? Either way, it's pretty and soothes some of my nerves.

My arms are starting to get sore from using the crutches all day. I don't have much arm strength to begin with. I notice my pace has slowed down, too. From nerves or soreness or both, I don't know.

Using the crutches, I take another hop on my uninjured foot. I misstep. That's it; I'm going to fall flat on my face, in the middle of the hallway, with my only friend next to me. I bet it's going to hurt, too. I brace myself for the impact.

But I never hit the floor.

Lucy wraps her arms around my shoulders, steadying me. She helps me regain my balance on the wobbly crutches. I'm grateful to her. She saved me from something embarrassing and painful.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asks, her voice full of concern

"Y-yeah," I stutter. "Thanks."

She smiles softly at me in return. We continue heading towards the cafeteria.

When we arrive at our destination, it's crowded, like it was yesterday. Lucy tells me she's going to go tell the group that we're here before heading off into the crowd. This leaves me alone. In the middle of a crowd. With potential threats everywhere around me. I hurry to the lunch line in order to escape.

The line is fairly short since Lucy and I arrived late. It works out for me; less of a wait, and less people. I have my lunch in no time: a sandwich, bottled water, and an apple. It's not much, I know, but it's all I can afford since I paid for first-aid supplies this morning.

Lucy returns and buys her lunch. I wait for her; I don't want to meet these people without her near. After receiving her food, a sandwich, bag of chips, juice box, a peach, and a cookie, she joins me. She looks at me incredulously.

"Is that all you're getting?" Her question surprises me. This is what I usually eat, when I eat at all. Does she eat more?

"Yeah," I reply. "It's all I can afford."

"I have some extra money. I can get you something," Lucy offers.

I'm genuinely shocked at the gesture. Never once in my life since my dad died had anyone offered me anything besides trouble and pain.

Not being used to being on the receiving end of an offer, I decline. "No, it's fine. I always eat this amount, anyways."

I see something flash behind her eyes. Worry, concern, fear, I don't know; those only seemed to be part of it. I think the other part is confusion, like she is trying to figure out something. She quickly hides it, though, so I don't get a good look.

"Are you sure?" she asks. "I mean, that's not good for you. You should eat more than that."

_Yeah, I should,_ I think. I really should. I'm starting to lose weight, an unhealthy amount if I might add. When I take my shirt off at night, my ribs are starting to be visible under my scarred and battered skin. My energy is depleting quicker, too.

I shake my head. "I'm sure." My voice isn't as steady as I am hoping for, but Lucy seems to buy it, giving a little "Okay" in response.

We start making our way towards a table. Lucy walks in front of me as I hobble slowly behind, juggling with the lunch tray and crutches. It's really hard, and I now know why people that are on crutches have a friend help them carry their stuff. I don't want to be more of a bother to Lucy, though, so I keep quiet.

When we make it to the table, Lucy plops down on a seat next to Levy, patting the seat on her other side, gesturing me to sit down next to her. I oblige, placing my tray on the table and carefully sitting down, placing my crutches under the table.

All talking stops, making me fidget. Everyone's looking at me, their gazes curious. I look down at my food, avoiding eye-contact with them.

Lucy clears her throat. "This is Natsu."

At the sound of my name, I peek up with one eye.

The raven-haired guy across from me greets me first, "Hey Natsu, I'm Gray, Gray Fullbuster." He holds out his hand, which I tentatively shake. His hand grasps mine firmly, while mine is barely touching his. He leans back and points to the man next to him. "This is Jellal Fernandes. He's not much of a talker."

Jellal turns more to see me clearer, revealing a red tattoo down the entire right side of his face, previously hidden by his azure hair. He gives a small wave in greeting, which I return. I think I'm going to like this Jellal guy; he's like me, not a talker.

Gray then turns to the guy on his other side. "The metal face over here is Gajeel Redfox. He does talk more than Jellal, but still not much. Just to warn you, when he does, it's usually foul language."

Gajeel gives Gray a glare, more menacing than others can achieve with his many piercings and red eyes. "Shut it, Ice Prick."

"And I," the ginger-haired man next to me says, "am the lovely, wonderful, amazing, Loke Celeste."

"You didn't have to add the 'lovely, wonderful, amazing', you know," the black haired guy next to him mutters, taking a swig from a bottle.

"I did, in fact, Bacchus. I am just so-" His little speech is cut short when Bacchus elbows him in the stomach.

I look at Lucy, who just rolls her eyes like this is normal for them. Then she says, "You've already met the girls," – at this the girls wave – "and I doubt Sting will be showing up after this morning, so that only leaves Laxus."

My eyes widen. My breathing becomes more rapid and shallow. Oh shit, _Laxus is here._

Next to Jellal, Laxus leans forward in his seat so he's now in my line of sight. "Yo," he greets like we haven't met before. "I'm Laxus Dreyer." I see in his eyes a message, something like _pretend we haven't met, and I'll go easy on you next time. _I hope this is right as I hesitantly wave in his direction.

After the initial greetings, everyone goes back to their previous conversations, leaving me awkwardly sitting there amongst them. Gray turns to me, a thoughtful expression showing on his pale features.

"You're that guy that was singing at the 8-Island Café, right?" I nod up-and-down in answer. "What happened in the street after that? And what happened to you?" He gestures at my beat up body on the last part.

I don't know how to reply. I can't tell anyone. I can't let anyone know, or figure it out. I know he's just curious, and maybe even concerned, but he just _can't know._

I look down, refusing to meet his gaze.

Lucy interrupts before Gray can say anything. "Natsu said he'd tell me everything later," she says. She saved me, and I'm thankful for that, but I never said I'd tell her anything. I wrack my brain for it, but come up with nothing. I never said that. "Right, Natsu?"

Wait, what? She wants me to agree with the lie? I can't do that! It would mean I have to tell her, which I _can't do!_ She's leaving me with no other choice, though. I shake my head, agreeing. This is going to cause me hardships later, I just know it.

Lucy gives a satisfied smile, turning back to Levy. Gray looks questioningly at me, like _why would tell her and not me? _One, I never agreed to telling her. And two, I've known her longer than him, so if I am ever going to tell someone, it would be her, no questions asked, no second thoughts.

Gray sighs in defeat. "So, Natsu, what are some things you like?"

"Huh?" Have I ever mentioned that I'm bad at talking with people? Well, I am.

"Like hobbies or something," he suggests.

I think about this for a bit. What _do _I like? I don't have many things to choose from.

"I don't know," I finally answer.

"No, really?" Gray says, thinking I'm joking, which I'm not.

"I really don't know," I say. It's the truth, too.

"Are you serious?" Gray asks, finding it hard to believe.

"Well… playing with my dad was always fun." I don't mention the fact that I mean my biological, blood related dad, not the sadistic bastard that adopted me.

"What do you guys do together?" Gray asks curiously.

Do? Present tense? Then I realize Gray didn't catch my slip of the tongue where I said 'was' instead of 'is'. He thinks my father is still alive.

I decide to play along. It will help hide my home life. "When I was younger," I start, "we would go to parks and climb the playground. He would push me on the swings until I learned to swing on my own. He taught me to read and write, too. We wrestled, played board games, and just had a good time together. He's the best."

"That sounds nice," Gray says. "What about now? What do you guys do now?"

_Why is he so curious about my dad and past? _I mentally ask myself. I think of things a dad does with his eighteen year old son. What do dads do with kids my age anyway? I have no idea, but before I can come up with something, or Gray can ask anything else, the bell rings. Lunch is over.

I wolf down the rest of my lunch in what people call record time. For me it's normal time because it gets me out of the house quickly.

Everyone stands, saying quick good-byes to those they won't see until later and walking away with the people that are going in the same direction. I wave good-bye to Jellal as he nods his.

Gray turns to me. "See you later, Natsu."

"Nice meeting you, Gray," I reply. It's not a lie. I did enjoy meeting him. I only wish that I didn't have so many close calls while doing it.

He walks away with Loke. I grab my things, shifting them so I can carry them while on crutches. I'm getting so tired of having to use them; they're really making my arms hurt. Oh well, it's either suffer through the soreness or not be able to walk. I'll go with the former.

As I turn to leave, Lucy appears at my side. "You going to be okay for the rest of the day?" she asks.

I nod. "I think so."

"Okay." She pauses. "Meet me outside the main doors after school ends, 'kay."

"W-why?"

"Just promise me you'll be there."

"O-okay," I agree. I don't have work today, so this'll give me a chance to stay away from Jiemma longer.

Lucy grins. "See you then!" she calls as she races to catch up with Erza. I wave to her retreating figure.

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. There's no sign of Sting or Sabertooth, thank goodness. The Raijinshuu are still leaving me be, which is odd but appreciated. Maybe they do have hearts after all.

Fourth period goes by in a breeze. I basically day dream during the entire class period while the teacher gives a lecture in a monotone voice to a class that isn't even paying attention.

Fifth period is only a little different than fourth, what with Gray, Loke, Gajeel, and Jellal. I sit in my usual seat by the window, they sit near me. We engage in some small talk, but once the lesson starts, there's no time to converse any further.

Sixth period will forever be the slowest class, mainly because it's the last period of the day. The clock mocks an eager-to-leave school by moving at the slowest pace ever. The tension in the room builds until the last bell of the day rings, releasing the all-too-eager students from the stress of the day.

I pack up as quickly as I can while still avoiding the people in the halls. I'm curious as to why Lucy wants me to meet her. It's not like I'm fun, or have anything to offer.

Adjusting my bag, I wobble on unsteady crutches to the main doors of Fairy Tail High.

It's time to find out what Lucy has in store.

* * *

><p><strong>What does Lucy want? Why is Laxus being 'nice'? What happened to Sting? Okay, so I have no idea on the last two, I just make stuff up as I go, but I know the first! I kind of know the second, and I'll make plans for the third...<strong>

**I really hope you guys liked this chapter and its somewhat of a cliffhanger ending!**

**I don't have anything else to say except that I have no idea when my next update will be, but I promise you this: I WILL NOT ABANDON ANY OF MY STORIES NO MATTER WHAT!**

**Ahem...**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses:**

FlyingDoll4- **Yep**

CelestialTroll- **Your review made me smile like an idiot all day. Thanks for the support!**

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Llaelien- **Thanks so much!**

bored-outa-my-mind97- **Lol thanks!**

Dark Shining Light- **(love your pin name!) Thanks a bunch! I promise there will be more NaLu feels (maybe some in the next chapter? I can add some in if you want)**

Risshu- **Thanks! There will be (hopefully) tons of NaLu fluff in future chapters**

Anime4life25- **Thanks so much!**

MikurisanScarlet- **I love knowing how much you love this story! Please keep leaving your wonderful reviews!**

050300NALU- **Thanks! I still love, and look forward to, your reviews! Yeah, I play b-ball. I've been playing since kindergarten (I'm in 7th grade). It's my most favorite sport! I actually would've updated this story sooner, but I had a game.**

CyanFoxX- **OMG I loved reading your review so much! It made my day! Thanks for supporting me! Please review again!**

artistofthemind- **Thanks so, so much! I was thinking about maybe writing a separate story that's this story but out of Lucy's POV. Does that make sense? Basically it's this story in Lucy's POV with a separate title and summary and stuff. I can do that once I finsh **My Savior **if you want.**

yamiyuga- **Thanks! Were you bullied?! Are you currently being bullied?!**

Guest- **I looked up 'The Kill' and I think it will work. Thanks for the suggestion!**

lunastarlight (guest)-** I will not abandon or stop any of my stories, so please don't think that about them. I got your second review today. Ironically, it was while I was typing this chapter XD. It's kinda creepy that you were right about me updating soon... I hope you enjoyed this and I'll try to update ASAP.**

xFairyTailLucyx- **Thanks so much! *tears of joy***

**Whew! Done with Review Responses! It took me literally an hour...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! 77 reviews in 6 chapters! You guys are awesome! This story is officially my most reviewed one, which makes me so happy! Personally, this is my favorite of my three stories. (After this chapter, just expect Review Responses at the bottom unless I tell you otherwise.)**

**I've been forgetting to say this, but Natsu DOES NOT have his scarf. He will get it later in the story, I promise. I actually have that planned out... a miracle has happened.**

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!**

**Here's chapter seven!**

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><p>I'm pushed against the cold, hard lockers in the deserted school hallway. I was hobbling on unsteady crutches when this, this, <em>bastard <em>came out of nowhere and attacked me. I feel like he's out for revenge; he probably is, after the events of this morning. He seems more than pissed. Infuriated is the best word, or seething with rage. It's radiating off him in strong waves.

It's Sting. Just him, no posse. Still, I'm no match for this strong, athletic football player.

"You made a fool of me this morning, bitch, but now it's your turn. And I'm gonna repay you tenfold," he snarls, a twisted grin forming on his lightly tanned face.

I know better than to do this, but I scowl. I'm injured, for one, and this morning was only because Lucy was there. She helped me. In a way, she started the "counter attack." I wouldn't have fought back if she hadn't arrived. But, its better I get hurt instead of her. I'm used to it, she's not.

I replace my previous scowl with an emotionless face. If I'm going to get beaten to a bloody pulp, I might as well not give Sting the pleasure of a reaction.

Sting growls; he's growing more infuriated by my lack of being intimidated. His teeth are visible, showing sharp canines, like a dog's. I'm scared, yes, but I don't show it.

He surprisingly releases me, letting me drop to the floor like some dead weight. I can't stand; my crutches lie some yards away, completely out of my reach. I sit up, leaning against the metal lockers. Sting steps back, blocking the path to the tools that help me stand and walk.

He takes another step back, only to use it to get somewhat of a running start and kick me square in the gut. I bend over, clasping my abdomen in an unbelievable amount of pain. This guy can kick. And Jiemma kicked that same spot last night.

"That was for making me look stupid," Sting says. "And this is for ruining my relationship with the big-boobed blonde." He kicks me again, this time harder, in my stomach. I double over, my cheek hitting the tiled floor, and cough up blood.

He continuously kicks me, each one only getting so much harder and painful. My vision is fading, I'm losing a lot of blood, and I'll be bruised for the next month at least. Nevertheless, I use my unsteady hand to cover my stomach, blocking his next kick. He pauses, his foot returning to his side, and glares down at me with his ferocious royal blue eyes.

I return his glare, looking up through my salmon bangs. He can make fun of and hurt me all he wants - I don't care anymore - but no one will speak of my only friend like he just did.

"Lucy." I cough up more blood.

"Huh," Sting demands in his obnoxious, snotty voice.

"Lucy," I repeat. "Her name is Lucy."

Sting sneers at me. "Oh, you mean the new girl with big boobs? Yeah, she's mine. Stay away if you know what's good for you." He gets right in my face at the last part.

I continue to glare at him, a mix of hatred, anger, and the feeling of being threatened swimming in my onyx eyes. I've had it, but I can't do anything. I feel useless, defeated, and utterly helpless. I'm shattered.

Sting steps back, lifting his face from mine. A cruel, triumphant smirk overcomes his features, and I know what's coming next.

He lifts his foot behind him, getting momentum for the oncoming kick to my face. He swings when something totally unexpected happens.

I'm saved.

A big, rough hand lands on Sting's shoulder. His head whips around to stare into the piercing red eyes of Gajeel Redfox.

"And you are," Sting snarls, not even trying to mask the venom in his voice.

"A friend of Pinky," Gajeel replies in a voice that's calm and collected, but full of an unspoken threat. He shoves Sting away from me, getting in-between us. I sigh in relief.

Sting does not look happy at all. He steps forward, positioning himself in a fighting stance, challenging Gajeel. I look on with uncertainty. Can Gajeel really win if it comes to a fist fight? I don't know anything about the guy, but I don't think he's on the football team like Sting.

Gajeel doesn't move.

Confusion crosses Sting's eyes before a look of victory takes hold. He thinks he's already won, that Gajeel is surrendering.

He finds out he is so wrong.

Gajeel grabs Sting's wrist as he tries to punch him. Using the momentum from Sting's attack, Gajeel flips him over himself, onto his back, and places his combat-booted foot firmly on his chest. Gajeel glowers down at the teen beneath him, a dark aura surrounding him.

"You know who Erza Scarlet is, right?" Sting weakly nods, his tough-guy act gone. "Yeah, well, I know her personally, and she scares the shit out of me. Unless you want someone like that after you, you will leave."

A deep, guttural growl escapes from Sting, but he nods. Gajeel pulls him up and throws him toward the intersection in the hallway. Sting sends one last, intense glare before stalking off, cursing quite loudly.

I lift myself from the floor into a sitting position. Gajeel walks over, my crutches in hand, and helps me up.

"You okay?" he asks, his voice still deep and scratchy like always.

I nod. I'm obviously _not _okay, but what the hell?

"Good." He nods once. "Where're you headed?" He hands me my crutches, and I steady myself on them, grabbing my bag.

I swallow a clump of blood before answering. "Th-the main entrance," I say, my voice thick from the red liquid. "To meet Lucy," I add.

"I have to meet up with Shrimp," Gajeel says, "but I'll walk you there so you don't get hurt again."

"T-thanks," I stutter, wondering who 'Shrimp' is.

His lip lifts slightly. His version of a smile, I guess. "It's what friends do."

_Friends._

There's that word again. Friends. I finally have some. I actually have… friends. And they care about me, to the point where they will defend me. It's a nice feeling, one I realize I've missed.

As we exit the building, I see no sign of Sting. Good.

Lucy waits on a bench outside. Gajeel waves good-bye before leaving me to journey to Lucy alone. I thank him again before he leaves.

I wobble over to Lucy. She stands when I'm a couple steps away from her. As I approach, I see her face go from happy, to confusion, to shock, to worry. She rushes forward, closing the few feet between us.

Her trembling hands cover her mouth. Tears form in the corners of her eyes. "Natsu…" she breathes out. "W-what happened?"

I look down at myself. I'm bruised, dirty and scratched everywhere. I ache all over, and it's hard to stay upright.

"Oh, this?" I reply, trying to act like I'm fine. _For her sake,_ I tell myself. "This is nothing." I shrug as best I can with the crutches and my bag.

"It's not 'nothing'!" Lucy suddenly shouts. "You're hurt! Who did this?!"

"N-no one." I'm surprised at Lucy's sudden outburst and her voice bubbling with anger.

"Well you didn't do that to yourself," she says. "So who did?" Her voice is softer now, gentler. She's calmed down, her energy drained and her anger turning to sorrow.

I sigh. "It was Sting."

Her eyes widen. I see the gears turning in her head, but they get stuck every time they try to rotate three-hundred-sixty degrees. She can't figure something out. "What's gotten into him?" she mutters. I take it she didn't mean for me to hear. I stay quiet.

I know I should tell her about the past Sting and I share. How he's been bullying me for longer than she knows. She probably thinks it started recently. Oh, how wrong she is. It's been _years_. I've lived a painful life for _years._ Telling her, though, would only make her worry, and change nothing.

I'm startled out of my thoughts when a pair of gentle arms wrap around my torso carefully. I look slightly down, finding the top of Lucy's head. She's cautious not to squeeze too tightly because of my injuries, so she's barely touching me, but I feel a mix of emotions course through me. Confusion is one. _Why is she hugging me? What did I do to deserve this show of affection?_ I wonder. Another is warmth, happiness. I haven't been hugged since my dad died eight years ago, so this is truly something I must remember and cherish. Letting the crutch drop, I wrap an arm around Lucy's waist, deepening the hug a little.

We stand there, in each other's arms, for a good couple of minutes. I don't want it to end. Please, never end. I've missed 'love', even though I don't understand what it is anymore. Even just this small show of affection, of 'love', is enough to make the pain of it all, both physical and mental, disappear from my mind for the moment. This moment needs to last forever.

Sadly, it does not. Lucy slowly pulls away from me. I reluctantly release my hold on her. Why couldn't it last longer? Just a little longer, please…

Lucy clears her throat somewhat awkwardly. She's blushing from the moment we just shared. I feel a light flush on my cheeks, too.

"So, um…" she trails off, looking down to hide her red face.

I look anywhere but at her. "T-the reason you wanted to meet me?" I suggest.

She looks up, her blush receding. "Yeah, that," she confirms. "Come this way."

Giving her a wondering glance, I pick up my fallen crutch, adjust myself on them, and follow after her. She leads me a block away from the school building. Suddenly, she stops and turns to face me.

"Okay," she says, "you have to promise – no, swear - not to tell anyone."

"Tell them what?" I ask.

"Just promise!" she exclaims.

I raise my hands in the universal 'I surrender' pose. "Okay, okay. I promise."

"Good." She nods curtly. "Then come with me."

I follow after her a short distance more. When we step out of a back alley, my breath is taken away at the sight before us.

A gorgeous, black limousine is parked in the street in front of Lucy and I.

"Close your mouth before a fly gets in," Lucy says as she walks by me.

I close my mouth. I didn't even realize it was open.

I stand there like some dumbfounded idiot. This is probably what I am, minus the idiot. I make all A's; I'm no idiot.

Lucy turns back to me as the chauffeur steps out and opens the back door. "You coming?" she asks. When I don't reply, she gently pulls me to the limo, ushering me inside. I hobble in, making sure to not bump my injured foot on anything. It's easier than I think; the limo is clean. Lucy steps in after me. We sit across from each other.

I look around the big space with wide eyes. There are enough seats for at least eight people to sit comfortably, with cup holders next to each seat. DVD players sit in a neat stack on the floor, pinned down with some form of strap. I notice a mini snack compartment built under the seat next to mine.

"Is this yours?" I finally ask.

"Yeah," Lucy answers. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

My gaze rests on her. "I won't," I promise. "But why not?"

"My dad's kind of rich, and I don't want anyone to know yet. I want them to get to know and like me for me, not because I'm loaded," she confesses.

That makes sense. "Who's your dad?" I ask.

"Jude Heartfillia."

"You mean the owner of the biggest hospital in Magnolia? _That _Jude Heartfillia?"

"Yeah."

"Then what do you need me here for?" I wonder aloud.

"Isn't it obvious?" I shake my head no. "You're going to the hospital for those wounds."

This day just took an interesting turn.

* * *

><p><strong>This is by far my favorite chapter. NaLu moment!<strong>

**So, here's the thing: Winter row practice ends on Thursday, February 5th, and we get a week after that to rest before Spring season starts. Once spring season starts, I have Mondays back so I should be a little quicker on updating. Also, the week that we don't have row, I will try to update all my stories at least once. I probably won't update this Saturday, February 7th, though, because it's my b-day (turning thirteen! I'm finally gonna be a teenager!)!**

**READ THIS!: I'm putting a poll up on my profile for this story regarding a review I got from **artistofthemind **on chapter five. Feel free to vote.**

**I found the perfect song for Natsu to sing that will confirm Lucy's upcoming suspicions. First five people to review will be able to know the name and artist via PM before it's in the story.**

**Just a side note: at first I didn't have the whole Sting ordeal in this chapter, but then I decided that I wanted Gajeel to help Natsu, so I added it in. I had a hospital scene (not planned out per se, more like the gist of it) for this chapter, but then I decided to change it and make the hospital next chapter. Oh, there's gonna be some songs later on (like two or three chapters after this one). I've been dying to put more songs in! I have the perfect ones!**

**Don't forget to review!**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses:**

yamiyuga101- **At least he stopped bothering you... I hope your not still bullied.**

Azarathia- **Thanks! I looked up the songs, and they did fit with the poem. The poem kind of reminds me of Love of a Daughter by Demi Lavato.**

Kathrine Tanks- **Thanks so much! I might do that**

msc22645- **Thanks! I really wanted a weak Natsu story, and this just happened! XD**

ac135- **OMG! Thanks a bunch! Trust me, I don't swear much in the real world, only in fan fics and sometimes my head!**

FTBNOP-ALWAYS- **Thanks! I love knowing my readers feel something when they read my story, it tells me that I'm doing good so far.**

Risshu- **I love NaLu so much! I added in a NaLu moment not originally in there for you! And I agree with you, how can someone have such a cold heart that they can hurt their own child? It's just cruel.**

artistofthemind- **Maybe... *cackles evilly***

CyanFoxX- **Your review had me smiling all day! I love reading your wonderful reviews! They always make me so happy! Thanks so much for them! I feel special**

MikurisanScarlet- **Thanks! I thought the poem fit nicely too**

Lizzygirl423- **I hope the wait wasn't too long! I don't see many stories with Natsu as the weak nerd, so I decided to make my own. It's new to me too**

FlyingDoll4- **That's a good idea. I think I'll use it, giving you the credit for the idea, of course. That poem brought tears to my eyes :'(**

050300NALU (guest)- **LOL, I love cliffhangers *evil smile*. Basketball! *returns high five* So much fun! I'm interested in knowing more about your bowling. I'm also assuming your a girl since you said "girls bowling team" (please clarify this, I'm curious). You're better than me based off your scores, but I'm not that good cause of my low vision (that's where I thank Nintendo for Wii bowling). About the Lucy POV thing, there's gonna be a poll for my lovely viewers to vote on, so I don't know what I'm going to do yet. Thanks for reviewing!**

camacazi1- **Thanks so much!**

1Fanfanatick- **I feel like that's gonna happen, but I'm not sure yet**

Guest- **You're welcome! I like to respond to my reviewers because I feel really nice knowing a) I actually have reviewers and b) I replied to their wonderful comments. I feel mean when I don't reply.**

Anime4life25- **Thanks so much, and I hope I didn't disappoint!**

lunastarlight (guest)- **That would've been more ironic... and creepy. Thanks! I will!**


	8. Poll

Hey guys! Sorry, this is not a new chapter.

IF YOU LIKE/LOVE THIS STORY, PLEASE READ THIS!

So, I put a poll on my profile regarding the point of view for this story. I would love it if you awesome readers would put in a vote. If you don't have an account, please look at the poll choices and review with what you want. I will add them when I close the poll.

THE POLL WILL CLOSE ON SUNDAY, MARCH 1st!

Thanks to the two people that have already cast their vote! It shows me that you 1) like my story enough to add your opinion and 2) you actually read my author's notes.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO! Thanks!

(Polls can be found above the bio in one's profile)

'Til next time!

-AlphaDemon


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Thanks to all you awesome people out there that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! Like, holy shit! Over 100 reviews! You reviewers are the absolute BEST! I thank all of you so very much!**

**And thanks to everyone that voted on the poll! To all those that haven't, IT WILL CLOSE ON SUNDAY, MARCH 1st! So make sure you check it out!**

**Also, Natsu DOES NOT have his scarf. He will get it later.**

**Without further ado...**

**Here's chapter eight!**

* * *

><p>"Natsu. Natsu, wake up." A hand nudges my shoulder gently.<p>

I slowly open my eyes, looking around. I'm still in Lucy's limousine; my head rests against the window.

Lucy is lightly shaking my shoulder, making sure I'm up. Groggily, I turn to her. Why am I so sleepy?

"We're here," Lucy says softly.

I rub my eyes, trying to rid them of the traces of drowsiness. "Where is here, exactly?"

"The hospital," Lucy answers.

"And how did we get here?" I question. I don't remember any part of the car ride to this place.

She giggles slightly. "Mr. Capricorn brought us here." She gestures to the chauffeur, a tall, middle-aged man with already graying hair. "You fell asleep, though."

My eyes widen almost imperceptibly. I fell asleep? Me, someone that always has to be on-guard and alert, fell _asleep_? I mean, sure, I've grown to like Lucy. But trust, trust is another thing entirely. Yes, she's saved me from Sting, and yes, she introduced me to other people in hopes of getting me some friends, but does that mean I trust her? No. Not in the slightest. I don't easily trust anyone after my asshole-of-an-adopted-father tricked me, lied to me, and now hurts me both physically and mentally. And spiritually, too, I guess.

"You okay, Natsu? You look scared."

I'm pulled from my thoughts at Lucy's question. Damn it! I let my emotions show. That's something I've learned I can't afford to do, especially around bullies and Jiemma. It only causes them to hurt me more when I react; they enjoy my screams, my cries for help, and my pain. It sickens me. How can someone find happiness from another's pain?

I put my mask back on, my inner walls up. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"If you say so," she murmurs. I guess by now she's learned I'm not going to give her any detailed answers.

We exit the limo, and Mr. Capricorn says to call him if we need a ride home before he leaves.

I stare up at the massive, eight-story building. It looks like most regular hospitals: tall, painted white and light gray, and smelling of sterile wipes and antiseptics. However, this hospital has a more cheery air to it than what I've felt before.

I've been in a hospital once; I had fractured my foot while playing tag with dad – my real dad – when I was around seven years old. I don't remember much from my visit there, only that I didn't care much for the place.

"You coming?" Lucy calls. She's already at the entrance to the building.

I hobble over to her on the crutches, stuttering a "Thanks" when she holds the door open for me to enter.

We step into the main waiting room. The place isn't too crowded; a few people roam here and there while others wait seated in chairs.

Lucy leads me to the front desk where a girl about my age sits typing at a computer. The pink haired lady looks up as we approach. Her nametag reads '_Aries'_.

"Hello, welcome to- oh Lucy-sama, how may I help you?" The girl stops her regular greeting when she sees Lucy.

"Hi, Aries," Lucy greets. "Is Porlyusica available?"

"Um…" Aries looks down at a clipboard lying on the desk. "Let's see….. She is not currently available. But when her current patient leaves, she will be open. I can get you in, if you want."

Lucy glances at me, almost asking me if that's okay, then turns back to Aries. "That'd be great, thanks."

Aries nods, writing something down on the same clipboard. "It'll be about a thirty minute wait," she informs us.

"Okay, thanks again," Lucy says. I nod my thanks.

"My pleasure. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Its fine," Lucy waves as we head to sit down in the waiting room chairs.

I plop down in one of the seats, mindful of my injured foot, and set the crutches down next to where I'm seated. Lucy sits in the seat next to me.

I lean back, closing my eyes. It feels good to just relax; I never get to, what with the threat of beatings from Jiemma and being bullied by the Raijinshuu and Sabertooth. Being able to just kick back and relax is something I rarely get to do, and even when I'm able to, I'm still on-guard and jumpy. One can never be truly at peace in the life I live.

Next to me, Lucy settles, shifting into a more comfortable position. It's silent for a bit, neither of us having anything to say. Lucy is the one to break the silence.

"Ne, Natsu?"

I open my eyes and turn my head to face her. "Yeah?"

She avoids my gaze, clearly nervous. "You never did answer my question," she finally says.

I give her a confused look. "What question?" I ask.

"You know," she starts. "The one I asked you after you sang at the 8-Island Café."

My confusion deepens.

She looks at me. "Why are your songs depressing? I mean, I see the messages the lyrics hold, but there seems to be something else hidden in them. Like a hidden emotion or something."

Now that I go back to that time, I realize that I didn't answer her question. I can't, though. No one can know, and I mean _no one_. It would only hurt them like it does me. I need to protect everyone from _him_, even if I don't know the person I'm protecting. I can't stand the thought of others being hurt like I am. It doesn't matter that I'm still scared of humans. They're my species; it's my instinct to protect them.

I take in a breath, collecting my thoughts. I don't know how to word what I want to say. "Well," I begin, "I've had some… experiences in the past. They inspired me to write those songs."

Her gaze softens at this information. It's a sympathetic look; she doesn't know what the 'experiences' are, but I see in the look she's giving me that she can tell they weren't good ones.

Sympathy, however, is not something I want. It's like pity, another thing I don't want. I've been dealing with the torture for _eight years_, I don't need the help. I don't want it anymore. Okay, scratch that. I want help. I would do about anything to get help. But what I'm trying to say is I want _help,_ not pity. Although, I guess I can't get it unless I tell someone about what Jiemma does. But I'm too scared to, so…

Anyway, while I've been stuck in my thoughts, Lucy has been talking. As I listen further, I realize she's only been muttering to herself, lost in her own thoughts much like I was.

She turns to say something to me, but a nurse comes out and calls "Ms. Heartfillia!"

"That's us," Lucy says. We rise, me much slower than Lucy, and we make our way over to the nurse.

She leads us down a hallway or two, up a couple floors in an elevator, and finally to room 342. We give her the information she asks for: name, age, medications I'm currently taking (none), and what I'm here for. She nods to us as she exits, leaving Lucy and I alone in the room.

We don't have to wait long before an older woman with pink hair tied in a high bun enters the room. She sits down in the doctor's chair and examines her clipboard.

"Greetings, Lucy-sama. So, Natsu," she says, her voice raspy and unfriendly. "You're here for a possibly broken ankle and nose, and pain in your chest." I nod confirmation. She looks down at her clipboard again. "Well then, I'll need to take some x-rays to confirm this."

I stiffen. I don't particularly like big machines. They're too enclosed, trapping you. It's bad for someone like me that's claustrophobic.

Lucy notices my tenseness and mouths 'its okay, I'm here,' to me. I relax a little at her unspoken words of encouragement.

"But before that," Dr. Porlyusica says, "I can see if your nose is broken. X-rays aren't needed to find that out."

I nod. She stands, moving closer to me. She lightly trails her pointer finger over my crooked nose.

"Hmm," she contemplates. "It is broken," she finally decides. Her hand leaves my face. "I can easily fix it now, if you want. It'll hurt though."

I think this over and come to the conclusion that the pain she's warning me of can't be any worse than what I already go through.

"Okay," I agree.

Before she fixes my nose, she tells me to swallow some pain-killer pills; she also gives me this gas that's supposed to help the person be numb to pain.

"Okay," she starts explaining while pulling on gloves, "this will hurt. A lot. But bare with me here. It'll be over soon." She hands me a box of tissues. "Use these for after I fix your nose."

With all the precautions and warnings, I'm starting go from nervous to scared. I look to Lucy, my face tinted the tiniest bit pink. "Can I hold your hand?"

"S-sure." She walks over to where I'm seated and stands next to me, holding out her hand. I take it.

"For this part, you might want to look away, Lucy-sama," Dr. Porlyusica warns. Lucy obliges.

I brace myself, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. "I'm ready."

Without another word, Dr. Porlyusica grabs my nose, which is bent at an unnatural angle. She then proceeds to twist her hand, pulling my nose with it and aligning it back in the right place. It makes a sickening crack when bone hits bone. I can't hold back the scream of pain that escapes my lips. Blood trickles from my nostrils; now I know what the tissues are for.

"Apply pressure to stop the bleeding," Dr. Porlyusica tells me. I press a tissue to my nose, wincing at the pain it brings to my already aching nose.

I don't realize my grip on Lucy's hand is too tight until she's telling me to loosen it.

"N-Natsu," Lucy whimpers. "Please loosen your grip."

My hand goes slack. "Sorry." My voice sounds higher because of the pressure I'm putting on my nose.

Once the bleeding stops, Dr. Porlyusica leads me to the room where the x-ray machines are. She has me lay down on a table, and she puts a cover over me so that the x-ray will only get the parts of my body she needs to see, namely my ankle and chest.

She then takes my x-ray.

After she's done getting what she needs, she leads me back to the room we were previously in, where Lucy is waiting for our return. I sit down on the patient's chair as Dr. Porlyusica leaves to go retrieve the x-ray pictures.

A short time later, Dr. Porlyusica returns, x-rays in hand. She hangs them up against a board that lights up to better see them. There are two in total: one of my ankle and one of my chest, which shows my ribs.

"You see this?" Dr. Porlyusica asks, pointing to a spot on my ankle that is cracked. "This shows that your ankle is, in fact, not broken." I sigh in relief. "However, it is fractured. I can realign the bones to help them heal faster, but you will need to wear an orthopedic boot so the bones stay in the right place to properly heal."

She proceeds to show me the boot I have to wear. It's stiff, to say the least, and gray in color. She shows me how to put it on and take it off, as well as how to use the little blue pump to increase and decrease the pressure inside the boot. It's pretty simple to understand. I put it on and do everything Dr. Porlyusica just showed me to show her that I can do it.

"And now for your ribs," she continues. She points at the x-ray of my chest, to a rib bone on my right. "This one here is broken, and so is this one." She points to another rib bone, this time on my left.

"They'll need surgery to fix. It should be done as soon as possible, too."

I look from Dr. Porlyusica to Lucy. I need this surgery, I know I do, but I can't afford it. Heck, I can't afford to 'rent' this boot, either. I just don't have enough money.

I look at the Doctor. "I don't have that kind of money," I confess.

Before Dr. Porlyusica can say anything, Lucy steps in: "It's okay. I'm paying for this visit."

"Okay then. I'll schedule you for ten minutes from now." With that, the Doctor leaves the room.

I round on Lucy. "You can't pay for all this! It's expensive!"

"You don't have the money to pay for it, though," she counters.

"I'd be fine even if I don't get the surgery."

"No you wouldn't!" she exclaims.

"Yes I would!" I yell.

"What makes you think that?!" She looks frustrated, exasperated.

I don't give my reply a second thought. It costs me. "Because I've done it before."

She looks at me. The pure horror I see in her chocolate brown eyes makes my chest clench painfully, and it's not because of my broken ribs.

"I mean-" I start, but Lucy cuts me off.

"Y-you've… done it before?" she whispers. "What do you mean by that?"

I turn away. "Nothing," I mutter.

"Natsu, what did you mean by that?"

"Nothing," I repeat in the same, quiet volume.

Lucy opens her mouth, most likely to ask again, when the door opens, effectively cutting her off. It's a nurse.

"Dr. Porlyusica is ready in the operating room," she says. We follow her out the door.

* * *

><p>The surgery only takes an hour or two. I was put under anesthesia for it, so to me it only felt like a few minutes. I'm sore from the surgery, but it's a heck of a lot less painful than having the broken ribs.<p>

Dr. Porlyusica gives me a bottle of pills, telling me when and how many to take. She also says I can have pain killers.

Lucy and I, still not talking to each other, are about to exit the room when Dr. Porlyusica stops us.

"Lucy-sama, Natsu, there's something I need to tell you," she says gravely. We turn to her. "The x-rays of Natsu show more than the fresh injuries. They show the older ones, too."

"Older ones?" Lucy questions. I, on the other hand, am freaking out internally. I didn't realize they'd be able to see all of my old, somewhat-healed injuries.

"Yes, older ones," Dr. Porlyusica confirms. She continues: "The x-rays showed multiple older injuries inflicted to Natsu's ribs. During the surgery, I examined them and fixed them as best I could. They will never heal properly, but they shouldn't cause too much trouble. If they do, you come back, you hear?" I nod, too worried to actually form any words. "Alright then, you may leave now."

Lucy and I leave, giving a quick "Thanks" to the Doctor.

To sum up what happened in the hospital, I am off crutches but limping heavily with the orthopedic boot, my nose will heal soon since the bones were realigned, and my ribs will also heal, but they'll take longer than my nose. Oh, and Lucy now knows about my multiple older rib injuries.

As we walk away from the hospital, I realize how late it is. The sky is already tinged pink with the sunset. I guess it was a stupid decision to tell Mr. Capricorn that we're walking home.

The minute the hospital is out of our view, Lucy turns on me. "Older injuries! What's that about?!" Her voice sounds angry, but I think it's just because of her concern for a friend. At least I think she considers me a friend.

"Um…" I stammer. "Like I said, I've been through experiences in the past." I hope that that's enough of an answer for Lucy, but I seriously doubt it.

Looks like I was right to doubt it. "Bullshit! I want more than that! What 'experiences' are you talking about?!"

I'm trapped. I can't get out of this one, no matter what I try. I really don't want to do this. I don't want to turn Lucy against her friend anymore than I already have, but she leaves me no other choice.

I sigh, a sign that I'm giving up. "I'm bullied," I confess. "And it's been going on for about eight years now." I don't look at her.

She falls silent. Then, "Eight years? That long?" I nod 'yes'. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I was scared." It's true, I was scared. I still am.

"Eight years… Isn't that how long you've been afraid of people?" she asks.

I nod; I'm amazed that she remembers that conversation.

There's a pause. "Who's bullying you?"

I knew this was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier. I don't want to turn her against her friend. But then again, the way he talked about her makes me sick. It makes the decision to tell her easier to choose.

I look even further away from her. "Sting."

She gasps disbelievingly. "No," she whispers. "No."

I nod. I expected this type of reaction from her.

She starts walking, lost in thought and disbelief, and I follow after her.

The walk home is silent, and I don't realize the tortures that await me at 'home'.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun dun duuuunnn! Cliffhanger! Love 'em so much!<strong>

**This chapter is almost 3,000 words (it got in the 2,900's)! I feel acclompished! I didn't mean for it to get that long (most chapters are between 2,000 and 2,500 words), but I have plans for the beginning of next chapter, and I had to finish the hospital part before it. At least it's a longer chapter for my lovely readers! :)**

**I'm so excited for the next chapter cause there's a song! I've been dying to put this song in this fic ever since I found it! Please read the lyrics (and listen to the song), they hold such great meaning in this fic.**

**Well then,**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses:**

FTBNOP-ALWAYS- **I felt those same emotions and then BAM! NALU made them all vanish! :D Thanks for the support!**

Anime4life25- **Thanks so much! Sorry about not PM-ing you recently for the thing (you know what I'm talking about), but I've been busy and then I got a review telling me to update.**

Circus Monster 2002- **Thanks so much! He does, doesn't he?**

(guest)- **Thanks! I try to update whenever I can**

Azarathia- **Thanks so much! You take care, too.**

MikurisanScarlet- **Thanks so much! Congrats on your first fan fic!**

artistofthemind- **She will... maybe**

050300NALU (guest)- **Thanks for reviewing! Girl power! Oh my gosh, that's amazing! I totally suck at splits... You have bowling teams? That sounds really cool. Where I live we don't have them (well, not that I know of). I'd love to hear more about your bowling. Thanks for wishing me a happy b-day. It was a fun yet painful day. I had a basket ball game and I swear the other team was out for blood. I came home with a (please excuse my language) big-ass floor burn on top of another big-ass floor burn on my knee, a floor burn so bad on my wrist it drew blood, my nose was hit with the ball while I was rebounding, and I was knocked to the floor like 4 to 6 times (the last time hurt like f*cking HELL; major migraine two days straight). And to top it off, the game ended in over-time tied 11 to 11. (In my recreational league, we do one over-time unless it's a tournament/championship game). It was still a really fun day though!**

CyanFoxX- **Thanks so much! *returns hug while chomping down on delicious cookies* I don't know what made me want Gajeel to do that, but I'm glad I put it in there.**

camacazi1- **I was thinking about the end of the Dragon King Festival/Grand Magic Games arc when I wrote the NaLu hug. *squeals* I just love them so much!**

yamiyugi101- **Thanks so much! I'm glad you're not still bullied**

lunastarlight (guest)- **Thank you so so much! I forget the song too, and stand there awkwardly trying to sing along XD Happy late birthday to you! Thanks for sending me the review saying it has been a week, I really appreciate it! It made me update sooner. I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to use your 'make the waiting room scene longer' idea, but I didn't want to make it too long. Also, the next chapter will explain why Natsu wasn't shocked by Jiemma in this chapter. Thanks again!**

Risshu- **I hope this filled your need!**

08- **I had those same reactions! I'm happy my writing is making my readers feel emotions! :)**

irondragonslayer61- **Thanks! You know, everyone is saying that about my age and writing (how I'm only 13 and (apparently) write well)**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed!**

**Okay, so I know I said there's gonna be a song in this chapter, but... For some reason that didn't happen... Yeah... It's in the next chapter though!**

**WARNING: This chapter contains pain, abuse, depression, and other bad stuff!**

**You have been warned...**

**Here's chapter nine!**

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><p>Fear. Everyone has it, some more than others. Some fear drowning, others fire, heights, while yet more people fear the unknown, the future. Death. Most fear being alone, that one day they'll wake up and everyone they know and love will be gone, missing, disappeared. Vanished into thin air. I do not fear loneliness.<p>

I live it.

What I do fear, is my father. No, not the wonderful, kind, caring Igneel Dragneel. I do not hold a shred of fear for him. I only hold love.

I fear the satanic man that adopted me. I fear his hands, raining blow after blow upon my already broken body. I fear his cruel nature, the type that gains pleasure from my pain.

I fear his favorite pastime: beating me to a bloody pulp, fighting for consciousness. I fear his tough build, the kind that can end my existence any day, any time he wants.

But I fear his eyes the most. Those evil-looking, almost pupil-less orbs that hold nothing but a desire, a cruel, cruel desire to rip me to shreds, to make me suffer. Those lust-filled, demonic eyes that shine when I'm tortured, when I'm in an unbearable amount of pain. The eyes that look at me like I am nothing, not even worthy of being called an insect. To him, I am less than nothing. I am merely a thing meant for pleasing him, for taking his hate-filled blows upon myself, and letting him rejoice in the sound of my blood curdling screams.

I fear the fact that even though I am a legal adult, I can't escape him. He won't let me. I will never be free, so long as I have the shock-chip in my arm, and he has the control to it.

I am not free.

I wish to be free.

But,

I will never be free.

I live a life full of fear. I tell no one of what happens because I don't want them to live with the same fear. I must stay alone, not free. For others' sake.

And as I walk through the front door to the place I call The House, I realize none of my fear for him has subdued. It has only grown, intensified.

For as I stand there in the doorway, my body shaking with uncontrolled fear, he glares down at me with those horrifying eyes of his, debating in his mind how to best torture me next.

My bag drops from my hand as his notably larger one takes hold of my neck, lifting me off the ground at least an inch. His devil-like eyes narrow, showing his rage, and his grip tightens. I gasp for air; it feels like my windpipe is being crushed.

Jiemma lifts his free hand – the one that's not currently holding me in a literal death-grip – pulls it back in a fist, and slams it against my abdomen. I would cry out, but his hold of my neck prevents anything other than small, pained wheezes from escaping my lips. He repeats this action over and over and over again.

Then, it stops. Just, _poof_, he's done, it's over.

Or so I thought.

As I drop to the floor as he releases his strangling hold, his knee connects with my chest, sending me flying into the closed front door. My back collides with the wooden surface of the entrance to the house, and I cough up a mouthful of blood. It trickles down my chin as I fall to the floor. The wooden surface stains red as my blood puddles on it.

Jiemma wastes no time in letting me recover. He kicks me anywhere and everywhere he can, an endless barrage of attacks. By now my eyes are glazed over and dull from the pain of it all. A well aimed kick to my face jolts me back to semi-consciousness, and I hear my newly fixed nose crack. I hope it isn't broken again.

Subconsciously, I pull my foot – the one with the orthopedic boot – behind me, out of Jiemma's line of sight. I don't want him to see it. He can't see it. He'd take it away, leaving my foot to heal on its own. I don't want to go through that again.

He doesn't seem to notice the action as he rams his fist into my right cheek, then my left, in a repetitive pattern. I already feel the bruises and swelling.

My eyes are shut tight, and my breathing quickens to shallow gasps as he pummels my chest with his feet and knees. I hear crunching and cracking as my repaired ribs shatter from each deadly blow. They come faster, harder, and I can't help it. I tear up, letting the streams of liquid flow freely down my face, and do the one thing I don't want to do.

I let out a blood curdling, pain-filled, and full-of-agony scream.

It rips through the air as Jiemma pauses in his assault. He steps back, smirking a triumphant smile, and just stares. The look is worse than horrifying; I can't form words to describe it.

Then, he leans down, making me tense, and grabs my salmon hair. He lifts me up by my locks, pulling me to a standing position. Well, it would be if my feet were touching the floor, and if my legs actually have the strength to hold me up.

He leans in. Then:

"Where have you been," he demands.

My mouth won't move.

He yanks my hair. "Don't make me repeat myself," he threatens. "We both know it's the last thing you want to do."

I swallow some blood, my throat dry. "O-out," I manage to croak in a weak voice.

He raises his light, bushy eyebrows, a sign that he's not pleased with my answer.

"L-library," I add. I know it's a lie, but I don't want to put Lucy in danger.

A drop of blood from my nose hits the floor, followed by a steady stream as my nose bleeds.

Jiemma doesn't move, nor does he speak. The silence is deafening.

"I told you last time," he starts, slowly, "that the next time you're late the punishment would be worse, did I not?"

I nod weakly.

He grins maliciously. "Well, then. I'll have to make sure I keep that promise."

My scream echoes through the neighborhood.

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><p>I wake up, dazed and confused, on the floor in front of the front door. I lie in a pool of blood. It's my own blood, deep and crimson. Slowly, I rise to a sitting position, mindful of my new injuries. Even just this small action hurts, and I hold back a scream.<p>

I look down, observing my injuries in the dark of early morning. At least I have pretty good night-vision, or else I'd be completely helpless.

I check over myself, moving each joint and bone carefully to assess the damage. My nose hurts, but I don't think it's broken since it isn't bent funny like last time. The orthopedic boot protected my broken ankle, but Jiemma hadn't really been paying attention to my lower body. Hopefully I can walk.

I twist my upper body to grab the door knob as a way of helping myself stand, and I feel a sharp pain in my chest and stomach. I lurch back to my previous position, wincing in pain. My bruised hands pull up my shirt, exposing my midriff. Since it's dark, I can't make out much, but I do see dark spots, indicating bruises, and even darker spots and lines, most likely dried blood.

This is going to be one hell of a painful morning.

I rise to my feet, using the doorknob as support, at an excruciatingly sluggish pace. My feet slowly and silently shuffle, taking me to the downstairs bathroom. I lock the door once I enter and flick on the light.

A battered, bruised, swollen, broken, and dull teen stares back at me in the mirror. He's covered in dark purple-blue bruises, splattered with red cuts and slashes, and lumpy from swelling. But the worst thing is his eyes. The boy looking back at me in the mirror looks lifeless.

I look lifeless.

Like all my fight has left me. It's just gone, disintegrated into oblivion.

I lift my shaking fingers to my swollen, black-right-eye. It's dull. My eye, I mean. I look like a zombie.

A whimper leaves my lips as I stand there, just staring at my reflection. My hopeless, fight-less, lifeless reflection.

Do I really look like this? I look as if I was never even _alive_.

The tears are flowing before I even realize it. I don't stop them, I don't try to. Sometimes, especially with a life like mine, one needs to curl up and let it all out. For some that's through violence, drugs, drinking, for others it's through the love of someone else.

But for most it's through crying, weeping.

Alone.

Where no one can see you, find you. Where no one can hear you screaming, yelling out profanities about the shitty life you live. Where no one knows that you are capable of this, of sobbing until your tears run dry, until your voice is too hoarse to even speak, until your too shaken up to stand.

A place where no one will discover that you have a weak side which you hide from the world.

So that's what I do. I curl into myself, hugging my knees to my chest, ignoring the pain the movement brings, sobbing, weeping, and cursing. Usually I don't make such loud noise in the mornings, but today I can't help it. I have to let it out, to vent.

I don't know if I can keep my sanity if I don't.

After who knows how long of my lying there, letting all my pain and sorrow out through tears, I unsteadily rise to my feet, wobbling like a drunken man.

My eyes connect with the mirror me's eyes. Man, I look awful. Well, that's to say even worse than I did before.

Not only are my eyes dull and lifeless, they are now blood-shot red and puffy, too. Tear-stains are clearly visible on my swollen cheeks, standing out against my pale skin. A thin line of blood trickles from a spot where my chapped lips split.

Sighing, I turn on the faucet, running my hands through the cool water. I splash some on my face and rub vigorously to rid of the tear-stains, and then use the liquid to clean all my cuts and scratches.

_At least I'm not bleeding anywhere anymore, _I think as one particular cut above my right-eye stings at the water's touch. I wince.

I don't know how long I take in cleaning up what injuries I can, but when I exit the bathroom I decide to leave immediately. I don't want to risk another encounter with the devil incarnate.

Quietly, I slip through the back door, out of the house of horrors. I release a relieved breath.

I'm in a desperate need of comfort right now. I have no one to go to, though. There's only one person in the entire world that can lift my spirits, but he's no longer with us. Great, I just made myself even more depressed.

Not really paying attention, I find my feet have taken me to the park. It's deserted, but that's to be expected at this early hour; the sun isn't even peeking out yet.

I check the giant clock to find it's only five o'clock a.m. I have plenty of time until school starts. But I have nothing to do with that time.

Well, there is one thing.

I turn on my heels, heading in the direction that will take me to the cemetery, to my family. I think just being near them will help me.

I walk slowly, my hands shoved in the pockets of my dirty and blood-stained black hood-y, and begin to sing.

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><p><strong>I feel soooo evil for doing that to Natsu... But, for this fan fiction, I just feel like whenever something good happens to him, I have to somehow ruin it. I think I did that pretty well.<strong>

**So, the song is actually next chapter. Please, please at least read the lyrics, and if you want, listen to the song. The song is beautiful, and the lyrics hold so much meaning to Natsu's life. I feel like the song describes his feelings perfectly.**

**Well then, sorry for being somewhat late in updating. My teachers decided to give us projects, so I was stressing over five different ones, plus the usual homework. Stupid school...**

**I WOULD LOVE ANY AND ALL REVIEWS! THEY ARE BETTER THAN CANDY FOR ME! PLEASE REVIEW, I LOVE THEM SOOOOO MUCH!**

**Ahem, not much else to say... Sooo**

**Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses:**

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08- **Yep, I think something like that will happen... maybe soon. Thanks so much!**

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